Diversity progress reports

UBC Science is a leader in taking a data-centric approach to understanding the impact of gender and race on hiring, merit review, and promotion through the ranks. The Faculty has been developing and leveraging tools to advance equity and diversity across the faculty for more than ten years--initially focused on bolstering the representation of women, and now additional equity groups, including people of colour and LGBTQ+ faculty, through anonymous self-disclosure.

Diversity and equity in UBC Science tenure-stream faculty: 2019 Report

Major Trends

  • Representation of racialized faculty has slowly increased over the past decade and reached general Canadian labour market availability. A significant gap remains when compared to PDF and UBC Science faculty candidate pools.
  • Since 2008, UBC Science has seen a slow but steady increase in the percentage of women faculty in the research stream to 24% and in the educational leadership stream from an already high 43% to 48%.
  • Representation of women among full professors (research stream) has increased substantially from 3% in 2000 to 8% in 2008 to 21% in 2019.
  • Over past twenty years, white women have served 20% of person years as dean, 24% as associate deans, and 11% as department leaders. No racialized woman has been appointed in one of these leadership positions.
  • Representation of women among CRCs in UBC Science has remained below their representation among faculty for ten years—however representation of women holding a junior CRC steadily increased to 37%.
  • Both Canada 150 Research Chairs in UBC Science are held by women faculty – in Computer Systems and in Evolutionary Genomics.

Representation of designated employment equity groups

In 2019, UBC Science had 417 tenure-stream faculty members. Science faculty responding to the 2019 UBC Employment Equity survey identified as follows.

Employment equity group Representation, UBC Science tenure-stream faculty Representation, UBC Science candidate pool Comparator
Women 28% 24% 38% PDFs in NSF
Racialized persons 17% 30% 32% PDFs in NSF
Racialized women 5% NA NA
Indigenous peoples <1% 1% 2.3% federally regulated private sector labour force
Persons with disabilities 2% 2% 3.3% federally regulated private sector labour force
2SLGBTQ+ and gender diverse persons 8% 6% 5% population

Previous Reports and Studies

UBC Science Faculty Member Diversity: 2017 Progress Report

Advancing UBC Science's Working Climate: 2014 Report and Action Plan

Working Climate for UBC Science Faculty: 2012/2013 Study

UBC Science and Applied Science conducted a joint working climate study for full-time faculty members in Science and Engineering departments. Faculty were invited to participate in an online survey and focus groups to voice views on EDI issues. More than half of faculty members in both units participated in the survey. The assessment also reviewed departmental guidelines and procedures and analyzed institutional data on demographics, recruiting, career progress, recognition and workload.

Equity and Working Climate Initiatives and Outcomes at UBC Science: 2011

The 2007 assessment called for the collection of data to measure the effects of proposed diversity policy initiatives targeting tenure-track faculty in UBC Science. The report highlights three years of data collection and analyses on recruitment and hiring, partner accommodation, promotion and tenure cases, leadership appointments, merit and retention cases, academic awards, and work-life balance. While the period studied is relatively brief, it provides information beyond that presented in the 2007 report.

Towards a Diverse Faculty of Science at UBC Vancouver: 2010 Update

Presentation to the NSERC Summit on Increasing Women's Participation in Science and Engineering.

Towards a Diverse Faculty of Science at UBC Vancouver: 2009 Update

Proposed steps that UBC Science can take to increase the diversity of its faculty, and support both research excellence and work-life balance. In 2008, faculty shared their feedback on the draft proposal in order to shape these efforts.

External Review of the UBC Science Plan to Support a Diverse Faculty: 2008

In March 2008, Professor Ana Mari Cauce, Executive Vice Provost, Academic Affairs and Planning, University of Washington, and Professor Angela Hildyard, Vice President, Human Resources and Equity, University of Toronto, assessed the proposed UBC Science plan to support a diverse faculty.

First Assessment of the Working Climate for UBC Science Faculty: 2007

In 2005, an advisory committee assessed the working climate for science faculty at UBC, focusing on concerns raised by women faculty. It was supported by UBC Science, the Office of the Provost, and the Vice President for Research. In 2007, a UBC-wide task force developed recommendations based on the study.

Download the 2019 Report

The 2019 UBC Science diversity and equity progress report on tenure-stream faculty contains details and analysis of:

  • representation of designated employment equity groups
  • representation by department
  • intersectional diversity of faculty
  • EDI in faculty recruitment
  • progress through the ranks
  • leadership appointments and chairs

Download the full 2019 report