After several months of e-mail communication, the CAUT executive's committee on equity had its first conference call meeting Feb. 9. The seven-member committee created last fall will provide advice to the executive on equity concerns, including CAUT issues which have not previously been identified as having an impact on diversity interests.

Loretta Czernis, a CAUT executive member who is also the chair of the new committee, said the intent was to convene a group of equity-informed faculty members who could share information and help develop strategies for educating faculty associations on contract language and hiring practices. "The members of the new equity committee represent a variety of constituencies that have suffered discrimination," she said.

The committee now begins the weighty task of constructing a foundation for its work which it hopes will become an integral tool for the executive to respond to equity concerns and initiate equity strategies.

The committee is also exploring ways to forge partnerships with local associations' equity committees, and is currently formulating a working definition of equity that ensures inclusivity and is relevant for faculty members working in Canada's universities.

At their first meeting the emerging concern was the need for hiring strategies to include equity initiatives.

In addition to Loretta Czernis (Bishop's), members of the subcommittee are:

Carl James (York) works on issues of equity related to race, class, and gender and is the author of Experiencing Difference published by Fernwood Press in 2000.

Greg Guy (York) works on linguistic diversity and research bearing on issues of race, class and gender in language use, linguistic prejudice and exclusionary usages of language.

Anver Saloojee (Ryerson) has has done extensive research on creating inclusive teaching and learning environments.

Richard Atleo (Malaspina) teaches First Nations studies and is committed to the recognition of aboriginal people and their perspectives in education.

Linda Goulet (Saskatchewan Indian Federated College) teaches a human justice class that examines institutional racism in education.

Enakshi Dua (Queen's) has research interests in the areas of feministal theory and third world studies.