Equity census
NSCAD’s 2024 Equity Census will run from November 1 - 22.
One of the three institutional pledges of NSCAD University’s Seriously Creative Plan (SCP) is the pledge of an equitable and inclusive NSCAD. This pledge aims to foster an environment where everyone can feel safe and thrive because they are acknowledged, heard, seen, and respected as individuals and as members of our community.
To help us meet our goals, we must measure our progress and expand our services to ensure that no one is left behind. To better understand and engage with the diverse community groups at NSCAD, we are refreshing our previous Equity Census to help us plan and prioritize our mandate on diversity, equity, and inclusion on an annual basis and align it with the ambitions of the SCP.
The Equity Census will give us a better understanding of who is part of our community, who is under-represented, and who is missing from the conversation. With your participation, NSCAD can:
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- build well-rounded support systems regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion;
- identify and remove barriers to services; and
- expand its reach within the NSCAD community.
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We need your help! The more people that participate in the census, the better NSCAD can expand our EDI efforts successfully and accurately.
NSCAD University’s equity census will run from November 1 – 22, 2024.
- On November 1, a secure link to the census form will be sent to NSCAD Faculty and staff, students, alumni, and members of the Board of Governors. You will find your link to the census via your NSCAD email. We will also send out weekly email reminders with the link, if you missed it the first time around.
- The census takes less than five minutes to complete. The responses collected are completely confidential and will be reported only in the aggregate.
- If you have any questions or require further information, refer to the FAQ below or email EDI@nscad.ca
Prizes for early responders
Fill out the census forms before November 15 and you are eligible to win:
- $100 VISA cards (x2) for faculty and staff
- $200 gift certificate from the Art Store for students
- $100 VISA cards (x2) for alumn
Census FAQ
WHAT IS A CENSUS?
A census is a survey used to collect and record details of individuals within a population (in this case, the NSCAD community).
The data will be analyzed and evaluated to help further understand the makeup of our community and the scope of NSCAD’s diversity.
WHY CONDUCT ONE?
The data collected during the census will be used to discover who is part of the NSCAD community, and who is underrepresented. We may not be engaging fully with diverse community groups, and with this information, we will work to remove barriers to participation throughout our programs, services and employment environment. By completing the census annually, we will also be able to measure our growth and successes in promoting equity and inclusion throughout NSCAD.
HOW MANY QUESTIONS WILL BE ON THE CENSUS?
There will be less than 20 multiple choice questions, and the survey should take less than five minutes to complete. You will then be invited to participate in further focus groups or information gathering sessions if you so choose.
WHEN WILL THE RESULTS BE AVAILABLE AND HOW WILL THEY BE SHARED?
When the survey closes on October 21, it will take approximately four weeks to analyze the data. Once that’s completed, a report will be developed and shared with the NSCAD community. We anticipate this will occur in November 2022.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
The more people participate in the census, the better NSCAD will be able to plan and prioritize its EDI efforts successfully and accurately.
WHO IS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CENSUS?
Students (graduate and undergraduate, part-time or full-time), staff (both full-time and part-time), and faculty (both full-time and part-time) will be invited to participate.
HOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE?
Everyone will receive an invitation to participate in the survey through their NSCAD email.
HOW WILL MY INFORMATION BE PROTECTED?
The census will be sent to the NSCAD community using our survey software Explorance:BLUE (“Blue”). The data will be collected and saved on Blue’s server. Blue is a Canadian company offering best-in-class data privacy and top security.
IS PARTICIPATION MANDATORY?
Participation is voluntary and the amount of information shared is completely your choice. For every question, you may choose not to answer and skip ahead. As mentioned above, the exercise will only be successful if we get a large number of participants. The more people participate, the more accurate the outcomes will be for NSCAD. We’ve heard you; you want NSCAD to continue to make improvements in our equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. Now is your chance to help.
WHEN WILL THE CENSUS TAKE PLACE?
The census will take place between November 1 – 22, 2024.
WHO WILL HAVE ACCESS TO MY DATA?
The information collected will only be available by NSCAD’s FOIPOP Officer. The information gathered will not be tied to any individual, and it will be aggregated before sharing to help ensure the results remain confidential.
IS MY PARTICIPATION CONFIDENTIAL? COULD MY ANSWERS BE LINKED TO ME?
Your participation and your answers will be kept confidential. Only the FOIPOP Officer will have access to the individual responses, and they will aggregate the data before sharing the results with any other group. When you complete the census, you are not required to give your name or email address unless you choose to be contacted to participate in future focus groups. Even if you do volunteer to participate in a focus group, your contact information will be saved separately from your census responses so that they are not linked to you.
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH MY DATA?
The data will:
- allow for a more accurate understanding of the needs of the NSCAD community
- inform new processes, like service responses and setting employment equity and recruitment targets, to better serve students, staff and faculty
- give the ability to consistently and continuously measure and report the successes of NSCAD’s EDI endeavors
If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to reach out to EDI@nscad.ca.