Mandate

The SSC-EDI committee’s mandate is to act as an advisory committee to the SSC president and SSC board of directors in all EDI related matters. The committee will provide support to SSC to meet the society’s EDI goals, and to ensure SSC provides a safe and respectful platform for diverse voices and perspectives within the society.

The SSC EDI committee will set short-, medium-, and long-term goals for the SSC with respect to reducing barriers and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion, with special focus on under-represented and equity-seeking communities including women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people with diverse gender identities and people with disabilities1. The committee will serve as a liaison to other SSC committees, to ensure best practices with respect to EDI are upheld.

Objectives

The overall objectives of the SSC EDI committee include:

1. Facilitate data-informed and evidence-based EDI-related planning, decision-making and practice within the society, with the aim of ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in SSC membership, leadership, and in SSC committees.
2. Identify/Develop measurable outcomes corresponding to EDI goals, in order to hold the Society accountable for reaching its EDI goals.
3. Identify and consider opportunities to partner/collaborate with external institutions and organizations (including programs in STEM, and in particular statistics departments and institutions) to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion more broadly.

Activities/Responsibilities

The committee members will undertake EDI training including training on implicit bias and will adhere to EDI principles in all discussions and activities. The ad-hoc committee will undertake the following activities:

1. Gather and analyze data to help characterize the diversity among SSC membership (and committee memberships).
2. Facilitate awareness of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the SSC community by a) publishing the survey results in SSC’s Liaison, and b) organizing a panel discussion at the SSC Annual Meeting.
3. Develop terms of reference for the continuing SSC-EDI committee.
4. Identify and recruit members to serve on the continuing SSC-EDI committee.
5. Identify a list of activities and tasks along with the corresponding timelines (short-term, medium-term and long-term) as a recommendation to be provided to the continuing SSC EDI committee.