Equity,

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

School of Human Resource Management
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AP/ADMS or AP/HRM 3450, Winter 2016

Professor:

Dr. Christa Wilkin, CHRP

Office Hours:

By appointment

Office:

Atkinson Building, Room #230

E-mail:

ChristaW@yorku.ca

Phone:

(416) 736-2100 x44664

Skype:

christa.wilkin

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Looking around the classroom, and in our workplaces, it is apparent that we live, learn and
work in diverse environments. This diversity brings with it great opportunities as well as
significant challenges. During this course will develop basic understanding of the impact of
diversity on workplace experiences, employment equity and inclusion. We will learn about the
basic theoretical perspectives that inform our understanding of these concepts, and examine
diversity and inclusion of specific identity groups.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK PLUS CHAPTERS

Anzovino, T. & Boutilier, D. (2014). Walk a Mile: Experiencing and Understanding Diversity in
Canada (1st Edition). Nelson Education.
One chapter from Angelini, P. (2012). Our Society: Human Diversity in Canada (4th Edition).
Nelson Education (See Moodle)
One chapter from Bell, M. P. (2012). Diversity in Organizations (2nd Edition). Nelson Education
(See Moodle)

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Prerequisite: AP/HRM 2600 3.00. Course credit exclusion: AP/HRM 3450 3.00 (prior to Fall 2013). PRIOR TO FALL
2009: Prerequisite: AK/ADMS 2600 3.00 or AK/ADMS 3480 3.00 (prior to Summer 2001). Course credit exclusion:
AK/ADMS 3450 3.00.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES

A primary objective of this course is to acquaint students with the basic principles and concepts
of diversity, inclusion, and employment equity in the workplace, and the opportunities and
challenges that a diverse workplace presents. In so doing, students will gain an understanding
of the theoretical perspectives, which inform our understanding of workplace diversity issues.
Students will also increase their awareness about the experiences of members of non-dominant
identity groups in the workplace, including discrimination, differential access and treatment.
They will learn about ways in which individuals and organizations address issues of equity,
diversity and inclusion within organizations. These objectives will be accomplished through
lectures, relevant projects, discussion of current events and group interaction online.

CLASS SCHEDULE
Week Date

Topic

Chapter

1
2

Jan 4
Jan 11

Diversity and Identity

Forms of Oppression

Jan 18

Theories and Thinking about Diversity

Jan 22
Jan 25

OAs Chapters 1 and 2 Due

Social Inequality

5
6

Feb 1
Feb 8

Race as a Social Construct

Aboriginal Peoples

4
5

Feb 12

OAs Chapters 3, 4, and 5 Due

7
8

Feb 15
Feb 22

Reading Week
Religion

9
10

Feb 29
March 7

Gender and Sexuality

Disability

7
8

March 11

OAs Chapters 6, 7, and 8 Due

11
12

March 14
March 21

Families
The Medium Diversifies the Message

March 25

OAs Chapters 10 and 11 Due

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March 28

Study Day No Lecture

Accommodation Brochure Due
Peer Evaluation Due
Class Participation Due
Final Exam

April 6 to 20

1
2
2 from Bell

10
11 from Angelini

The professor reserves the right to change or alter the syllabus schedule with ample notice to the students I may
add an additional reading for a specific class, if I deem it necessary for the better understanding of the topic.

COURSE WEIGHTING
Online Assignments (OAs)

15%*

Class Participation

10%

Accommodation Brochure

20%

Peer Evaluation

5%

Final Exam

50%

*10 OAs each worth 1.5%

COURSE EVALUATION

OAs - Online Assignments (15%)

The purpose of the OAs is to get you thinking critically about some of the topics we discuss in
the course. OAs consist of individual short exercises or assessments designed to give you more
exposure to the topic. These will be graded on a Credit/No Credit basis (you will see either 1
or 0 points in Moodle), and are due at several time points throughout the semester (see Class
Schedule). It is highly recommended to complete the OAs as you progress through the course,
rather than waiting until the due date. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Class Participation (10%)

At the end of the course, Ill ask you to complete a mandatory questionnaire through Moodle
that summarizes your contributions. Late submission will not be accepted. If you do not submit
a class participation questionnaire, your class participation grade will be reduced by one letter
grade.

Be specific by listing the dates and the contributions you made. Ill compare your record with
mine as I am able to review logs that indicate when you accessed the course and what you
contributed. You are welcome to say what grade (e.g., A to F) you think these contributions
merit. I would recommend writing down what you contributed each time you log on to
Moodlethe question you asked, the answer you gave, the comment you made, etc. That way,
it will make it easy to summarize at the end of the course.

Here is an example of how you can summarize your contributions:

26 May 2015: Comment on topic "Stereotype" using the material learned from Professor
Wilkin's PowerPoint slide. Constructively disagree with the comment made by other students.
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Your participation should be relatively consistent throughout the course. If you only participate
right at the very beginning or end, you will not obtain a good class participation grade.

Here are the behaviors that count:

Asking questions (ones that cant be easily answered by reading the course outline)
Answering questions
Making comments (extra points for comments that relate to material in the text, and for
sharing relevant experiences)
Constructively disagreeing with something in the textbook, by me, or another student

Heres how your participation is graded:

Grade
A

E or F

Criteria
Responses address questions with thought, clarity and analysis, showing depth of
understanding through application of course content: i.e. from reading material and/or
lecture content.
Promotes further discussion and thought by asking questions of fellow classmates.
Responses are succinct without compromising sufficient detail to articulate main point.
Participates very frequently in discussions.
Response addresses the question with thought and clarity.
Applies some content and material from the course readings and/or lecture content in the
response.
Responses are succinct. Good articulation of main point.
Participates frequently in discussions.
Response addresses the question
Offers straightforward information (e.g. straight from the case or reading), without
elaboration.
Responses are relatively succinct. Main point is articulated.
Demonstrates sporadic involvement in discussion.
Response is not specific or is vague.
Appears somewhat off-topic and/or does not address main point.
Responses are only a few word answers (e.g., I agree, I disagree).
Demonstrates very infrequent involvement in discussion.
No or few responses are made.

Accommodation Brochure (20%)

This assignment is intended for you to get to know other people who may be different from
you. You will need to spend time together outside of class and complete a brochure on
accommodation in the workplace on a particular topic (e.g., race, gender, class, ability, sexual
orientation, religion, etc.). Your topic may be on one that you and your partner differ (e.g., you
belong to different religions) or a topic of mutual interest (e.g., you are both straight but are
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interested in researching how gay people are treated in the workplace).

Please work in groups of two or three. You do not need to let me know who you are working
with. If you are having trouble finding a partner, please post a request within your Online
Discussion Forum or on the Class Q&A. Only as a last resort, email your professor. You are not
permitted to work by yourself on the assignment.

In the brochure, A) provide background information on the topic, B) barriers the diverse
individuals face related to your topic, and C) solutions to address the barriers from an
employers perspective. Focus more on what the research says but you may include personal
experiences if you have space.

You can focus on the topic in general (e.g., religion) or be more specific (e.g., Islam). If you
choose a topic that you and your partner differ on, you arent required to include both aspects
(e.g., one person is a female and you focus just on accommodating females in the workplace).

Requirements

Two-page brochure.
Include the names and student numbers for you and your partner in the header
Only one person should submit the accommodation brochure on Moodle. Hard copies
are not required.
There are no specifications regarding font type, size, or spacing
Use credible sources (e.g., journal articles). Wikipedia is not a credible source.
There is no minimum number of sources to use
Use an attractive and well-designed format; be creative!

References

Use APA style but instead of using in-text citations, in order to save space, use endnotes instead
with a separate page with the references.

References should be in the following APA style if you are paraphrasing (putting someone elses
ideas into your own words):

An increasing number of students fail to read course outlines.1

But use the following style if you are quoting directly (using someone elses exact words):

There has been a tremendous growth over the past ten years in the number of
students failing to read course outlines. 1

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The Reference Section should be on a separate page, and include all relevant information.
Make sure that you include a reference for every citation that you have included, but do not
include works that you have read but not cited. Use the following format:

1
Wilkin, C.L. (2015). Failing to read course outlines. Journal of Course Outlines, 23(1), 1-17.

Normally the reference section is in alphabetical order, but because you are using endnotes,
the order of references appears in the order that the information is presented in your brochure.
If you need more information about how to reference properly, please see this tutorial on
Academic Integrity: http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/index.html

Grammar and Proofreading

Ensure that the brochure is free of grammatical/spelling errors and uses consistent
subheadings, fonts, etc. If you need any assistance with your writing, please make an
appointment with the Writing Centre - http://www.yorku.ca/laps/writ/centre/

Late Policy

A penalty of 20% will be applied to an accommodation brochure that is handed in late on that
day, 40% if it is two days late, 60% if it is three days late, 80% if it is four days late, and 100%
after four days.

Criteria
Content

Weight
/6

Written
Presentation/
Visual Appeal

/2

References

/1

Grammar,
Proofreading

/1

Professional
Demonstrates in
depth understanding
of topic
Accurately uses
researched
information in the
brochure
Well organized
content
Attractive and well
designed format
Clear and easily
understood message
Imaginative; original
APA style used
throughout without
exception using
credible sources
Exemplary with few, if
any, errors; consistent
use of headings, fonts,
etc.

Adequate
Needs Work
Unsatisfactory
Demonstrates
Demonstrates little Lacks
understanding of the
understanding of
understanding of
topic
topic
topic
Uses researched
Uses researched
Reports only the
information with an
information with a
most basic parts of
adequate degree of
fair degree of
the information
accuracy
accuracy
Content is organized
Content lacks
Unorganized
organization
content
Format is adequate
Hard to follow
Message is sufficiently Format is difficult
to follow and
understood
Message difficult to
poorly organized
understand;
Creativity is
Message not
tendency to
acceptable
understood
wander or ramble

Little creativity
No originality
Uses APA style, but
Uses APA style, but Does not use APA
some errors
errors are
style
distracting
Generally good, but
with some errors,
however they are not
distracting

Okay, but errors in

grammar, style, etc,
are distracting

The errors were

distracting such
that the reader
becomes irritated

Peer Evaluation (5%)

Each student must submit a peer evaluation via Moodle. The purpose is to ensure that each
member is making consistent and valuable contributions to the group assignment. You should
evaluate each member with respect to participation in group activities. Carefully evaluate each
team members behaviour during activities with your group. These are CONFIDENTIAL
evaluations. Please do not collude with your team members (i.e., agree to give each other high
evaluations).

The evaluations are due on the day that you hand in your assignment. I will not be able to
accept late submissions.
Shirking responsibility within groups is a form of academic dishonesty. Students who are
reported by other group members as shirking will be required to meet with me and an
administrative representative in the School of Human Resource Management to formally
investigate the matter and determine, if necessary, the appropriate academic penalties.

Please record grades for each team member in the box below. Use the following scale:
0 = complete social loafer (F)
1 = hardly did anything (E)
2 = did the minimum, was not prompt in communication (D)
3 = good team member (C)
4 = very good team member (B)
5 = excellent team member (A)

For example,
Betty White = 5
Andy Samburg = 5

Final Exam (50%)

The final exam will be held in person during the final exam period and it will be cumulative. It
will be a closed-book three-hour exam consisting of 150 multiple-choice questions. Please
refrain from using any materials except for your brain power and a pencil. Questions will be
based on lectures and the text. Therefore, it is a good idea to watch all of the online lectures
and read the textbook. The final exam will be stored at the School of Human Resource
Management; students can view their final exam during regular business hours. Please take all
reasonable measures to arrive on time for the exam. If you show up late to an exam, you may
not be allowed to write the exam.


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Note: Not all of the material covered in the text will be discussed in class. Conversely, some of
the material presented in the lectures will not be in the text. However, you will be responsible
for all the material in both the text and in the lectures.

Everyone must bring a pencil to the exam, which will be used to complete a computerized
scoring sheet. As well, please ensure you bring a sharpener and an eraser. Also, do not forget
your student card with your photo. Because of the size of the class, it is absolutely essential to
have the appropriate picture ID or you will not be permitted to write the exam.

For students who require special accommodation for writing exams, please make the necessary
arrangements well in advance of the exam date (at least 2 weeks).

In accordance with the University Policy, medical documentation will be required if the final
exam is missed in order to defer the final exam. A Deferred Standing Agreement must be
submitted to the School of Human Resource Management within one week of the missed
exam. Deferred exams are common across all sections and are cumulative. The dates are set by
the School. No make-up dates will be offered during this term. If a student does not write the
final exam, and is not able to provide medical documentation, s/he will need to petition for a
deferral to the faculty council.

CLASS POLICIES

You are required to watch the online lectures, read the assigned materials, be prepared to
answer questions on this material in online discussions, participate in online discussions, hand
in assignments on time, and write the required final exam.

As a professor, my objective is to provide you with the best learning environment possible.
Throughout the years, I have noted that certain behaviours in the classroom can deter this
environment. Please take note:

Class Q&A Forum. A class Q&A forum is provided in Moodle for students to post any question
related to the class. Using the Q&A forum is highly effective because typically many students
have the same question. The forum will be checked regularly. E-mails directly to the professor
should be reserved for questions of a personal or sensitive nature.

Class Schedule: The lectures are asynchronous, meaning that they are already recorded and
you can watch them whenever it is convenient for you. That being said, a class schedule is given
so that you can keep up with the material. Feel free to proceed faster with the material. Please
check into the course at least once or twice a week to participate in discussion forums and to
share ideas or questions. Sometimes this may not be possible because of your schedule, but
please endeavor to check into the course as much as you can.

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Keeping Up. You will need planning, discipline and persistence in order to succeed in this
course. You will need to keep aware of and meet required deadlines, all of which are listed in
the syllabus. Please stay on top of things!

Communication: Please take note the following important communication policies for the
course.

If you have a general question, please use the Class Q&A forum on Moodle.
Voicemail is rarely checked.
Students must have a York email address for all broadcast and one-on-one email
communications. York email addresses can be obtained here:
http://computing.yorku.ca/students/email/.
Due to the number of courses that I teach, emails must include:
o The course number and section. Answers to emailed questions often depend on
the course that youre in.
o Your real name, as registered with the Registrars Office (i.e., on your
transcripts, official class lists).
Emails that do not provide any or all of the above information may be unanswered.
Emails with questions that can be answered by reading this course outline may be
unanswered.
Skype is an alternative option to meet. Arrange a Skype meeting with me via email.

Course Website

The course website is accessible by students via Moodle (https://moodle.yorku.ca/moodle/).
Students will require an active Passport York Account to login. The site will be used to house
the course outline, instructor information, announcements, broadcast emails, discussions,
exam information, slides, multimedia links, additional readings, and unofficial grades.

Important Information

All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the following information, available on
the Senate Committee on Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy webpage (see Reports,
Initiatives, Documents) - http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate_cte_main_pages/ASCP.htm
http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate/committees/ascp/index-ascp.html
Senate Policy on Academic Honesty and the Academic Integrity Website
Ethics Review Process for research involving human participants
Course requirement accommodation for students with disabilities, including physical,
medical, systemic, learning and psychiatric disabilities
Student Code of Conduct
Religious Observance Accommodation

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Religious Accommodation

If you have a religious conflict with the date for exam, a religious accommodation form must be
submitted no later than 2 weeks before the exam to arrange an alternative exam date.

Disability Services

Students with disabilities that may interfere with the successful completion of the course
requirements are encouraged to discuss their concerns with a councilor at the Office for
Persons with Disabilities (www.yorku.ca/cds/). Accommodations should be brought to the
attention of the instructor as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Counseling Services

Many students face a variety of personal challenges throughout the year, which may have a
negative effect on their academic performance. In such cases, students can make use of Yorks
Personal Counseling Services (www.yorku.ca/cds/pcs/).

A Word of Warning

Academic dishonesty is quite easily detected and is a very serious issue with potential
consequences ranging from failure in the course to dismissal from the university. Please note
that accessing a test bank is cheating, a form of academic dishonesty.

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