A journey of learning and reflecting

"Organizational diversity and inclusion is the set of policies and practices that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for all people in a workplace," says Karen Saini, an instructor with Continuing Studies at UVic. "It’s a perspective that really seeps into every function of an organization."

Karen’s professional and academic experience spans many areas and industries. She is currently pursuing a PhD in public administration with a dissertation focused on examining the opacity of police EDI reporting in BC. She is also the executive director of the Oasis Society for Spiritual Health, an urban Indigenous non-profit organization and a faculty instructor in the School of Business at Camosun College.

Previously, Karen held professional roles as a social worker and was employed as the executive director of the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS). She was also employed as a research, internal audit, and policy analyst with the Victoria Police Department.

These experiences have shaped her deep understanding of EDI, reconciliation and decolonization. As an instructor in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion program, she’s passionate about supporting students with developing the practical skills needed to build inclusive, equitable and innovative workplaces.

Empowering students in EDI 

Karen has taught both online and in-person courses, where she focuses on creating a student-centred and trauma-informed learning environment. Her course in organizational diversity and inclusion is designed to support learners with practical skills they can apply in their workplaces and personal lives.

"We want to make sure that people are walking away with a toolbox that they can take into their workplace," Karen shares. "As they work through the course, we want to ensure that they can apply some of the things they’re learning to their workplace, or to enhance their overall understanding."

Students in her classes come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including government ministries, mental health associations, non-profits and international organizations. The course is designed to be flexible while accommodating diverse perspectives and language proficiencies.

Skills employers value from professionals 

In a study on managing diversity in the workplace, strong leadership commitment is a crucial factor that helps develop organizational culture and determine the direction of diversity management. But what specific skills are employers seeking in EDI professionals? 

Karen highlights a few key competencies:

• Self-reflexivity: The ability to critically examine one’s own identity and biases.
• Effective communication: Engaging with diverse populations and cultures.
• Policy development: Creating inclusive and accessible organizational policies.
• Practical application: Demonstrating experience with diverse demographics and groups.
  
  

"Employers will look for your experience and the practical application of your skills to get a sense of what kind of demographics you’ve worked with, and what kind of experience you bring," Karen says. 

A large part of the course is encouraging students to be reflexive about their identities, which requires vulnerability and discomfort. Karen describes that this process is important for workplace interactions and relationships. "It requires a level of vulnerability where students need to think about how their own identity has shaped their understanding and their experiences in the workplace."

Making an impact 

During the course, Karen has seen her students apply their learning to make effective changes in their workplaces. For example, adding land acknowledgments to their organizations’ websites, publishing demographic data, or developing reports on their progress toward the calls to action.

Compared to taking shorter EDI training workshops, Karen believes that comprehensive courses provide deeper insights. By learning and collaborating with peers from diverse backgrounds, students gain valuable, practical skills in real-time while developing meaningful connections.

"I hope that students continue to take what they’re learning and look at their own workplaces in a critical way," she says. "I also hope that students, as part of their reflexivity exercises, are able to acknowledge spaces that are unsafe for them."

Advancing EDI

From improving employee retention to fostering creativity and innovation, effective EDI practices are essential for creating safe, thriving workplaces. Karen’s course provides an in-depth, critical and practical approach to understanding and applying EDI principles—both at work and in our daily lives.

"You can read all you want, and educate yourself as much as you want, but at the end of the day you have to engage and communicate," she says.

• Posted January 7, 2025