A warm welcome to all new and returning students and the many employees who are excited and ready for the Fall 2023 semester!
I have an update on the EDI Opportunity Fund and the incredible work being carried out by the Mount Royal community.
The EDI Opportunity Fund is administered through the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. It is financial support available to students and employees ready to move forward with an initiative that identifies and removes systemic barriers on campus. The fund includes an annual $50,000 stipend to be allocated for EDI initiatives at MRU.
By the numbers
The fund was launched in October 2022, and online applications were open as of the following month.
In the first three application rounds, there were a total of 55 applicants across 26 different project proposals — this mix of individual applicants and group applications may have included both employees and students.
A grand total of $253,386.90 was requested from the EDI Opportunity Fund in the first 3 rounds of applications that proposed plans for meaningful initiatives.
$76,399.75 has been allocated to applicants with approved projects in the first 3 application reviews that took place between January and June 2023.
It has been a busy year! I would like to thank the entire MRU community for enthusiastically embracing the EDI Opportunity Fund in its inaugural year. This includes the many applicants and those who simply spent the time to think about an EDI-related project they might want to lead. If you didn't get a chance to apply last year, please consider applying this year.
There was also significant support from many of you who made the effort to share information about the fund with colleagues and students through ongoing announcements in faculty newsletters and direct outreach. Thank you sincerely, and I can confirm that this is one of the reasons why the fund has been such a success in its first year.
There are some changes to the fund for the 2023-24 academic year, along with a new goal the EDI Opportunity Fund Committee has set, and we will need your help to reach it:
Increase in capacity to fund more projects
I am pleased to share that the fund has received a boost of an additional $25,000 (from $50,000 to $75,000) to help support even more projects for the 2023/24 academic year. A sincere thank you to Dr. Tim Rahilly, President and Vice-Chancellor, for his continued support of this resource for the entire community to take part in.
The fund will consider projects up to $10,000
Due to the demand for the fund and commitment to support as many projects as possible, the decision has been made to change the maximum allotment from $15,000 to $10,000 for the 2023/24 academic year. I am confident that this will still allow for a range of projects to be considered, and I look forward to receiving applications for various initiatives.
Help us reach students
We would like to encourage more students to apply to the fund. Any support you can offer in helping to get the word out is appreciated. If you connect with students regularly, please direct them to the EDI Opportunity Fund should they express an interest in leading an EDI-related project within their faculty or enhancing a space or offering on campus. We’ve made changes to the application to streamline the submission process, and we encourage alternative submissions, such as video or audio recordings, if that is easier for the applicant.
I take great pride in the incredible uptake of the fund in its first year, and I hope you do the same. I applaud the entire MRU community for all efforts that help Mount Royal make meaningful changes and foster a culture of belonging. THANK YOU!
To learn more about the EDI Opportunity Fund and the application process, visit mru.ca/edifund.