Queen’s University Launches Review Process for Its Indigenous Hiring Practices – Kingston | The Canadian News

Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario is beginning consultations with indigenous members of the school community on how it defines indigeneity, especially when it comes to hiring practices.

This comes after an anonymous report was distributed this summer alleging that six people linked to the school, including staff, may have misrepresented their indigenous heritage.

A university statement released Tuesday said school officials now understand that a certain “rigor associated with indigenous identity” had not previously been prioritized in the administration.

The school says it will go through a full review to determine why that process was not a “constant priority” before the report came out.

Following the report and intense criticism of the school, including an open letter signed by dozens of indigenous academics, Queen Principal Patrick Deane, along with the school’s then-new Chancellor, Murray Sinclair, vowed to change hiring practices in as regards indigenous applicants. .

Sinclair noted that self-identification of homelessness is no longer an acceptable practice in hiring and that the school will strive to improve its processes in the future.

The consultation on how exactly that will happen will start in November and last until December.

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“These are not easy discussions to undertake, but they are important to help foster healthy community and relationships at Queen’s,” said Kanonhsyonne Janice Hill, associate deputy director for indigenous initiatives and reconciliation at the school.

He said it will be the school’s goal to ensure that new actions taken by the university are led by indigenous voices.

In conjunction with Ottawa-based consulting firm First Peoples Group, the school’s office of indigenous initiatives will hold meetings with members of the indigenous university and school stakeholders, as well as seek feedback online from community members. indigenous.

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