TIDE Unconscious Bias Training

Session Recordings	Date & Time
Part 1: Unconscious Bias & Challenges to Fair Assessment in Academia * Passcode was distributed to attendees via email	August 3, 2023 8am – 9am ET
Part 2: Practical Approaches to Recognizing Bias & Building Inclusive Cultures * Passcode was distributed to attendees via email	December 7, 2023 8am – 9am ET

In this two-session series, participants will have an opportunity to learn about unconscious bias and how it typically manifests in academic contexts, with a focus on STEM and medicine. These training sessions are strongly recommended for all UTDRO faculty, and will be mandatory in the future for new academic appointments, continuing appointment review (CAR), promotions, UTDRO committee work and more, therefore we encourage all attendees to complete the two-part training and sign the acknowledgement form .

Key Speakers

Professor Maydianne Andrade

Professor Maydianne Andrade is a University Professor in Biological Sciences, the founder and Co-Chair of TIDE, Co-founder and President of the Canadian Black Scientists Network, and who has served as Vice Dean Faculty Affairs & Equity, and as Acting Vice Principal Academic and Dean at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Professor Bojana Stefanovic

Professor Bojana Stefanovic is a Senior Scientist, CRC Tier 1 in Functional Brain Neuroimaging, Director of Physical Sciences at Sunnybrook Research Institute, a Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto and Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Department of Medical Biophysics.

Training Sessions

Part 1: Unconscious Bias & Challenges to Fair Assessment in Academia

Assessment of achievement, ability, and performance affects hiring, compensation, granting success, and promotion across sectors, including science and medicine. This presentation takes a non-judgmental approach to outline how systematic biases in the assessment of competence and achievements of women, racialized persons, and others from marginalized groups can challenge fair assessment. Using an evidence-informed approach, typical manifestations of bias in academic processes will be reviewed, with discussion of how cumulative effects across the career arc can be substantive. The session ends by providing some evidence-based approaches individuals can use to learn about, and interrupt bias, following by a Q&A session.

Part 2: Practical Approaches to Recognizing Bias & Building Inclusive Cultures

Background work for Part 2:

This second presentation will build on insights from part 1, and will assume baseline knowledge shared in that session. Attendees for Part 2 must have either:

Attended Part 1 or Watched the Recording of Part 1
OR Reviewed the first two Unconscious bias education modules. Attendees can view the modules on SuccessFactors(completing 3 modules this way will provide a certificate of completion). Attendees who do not have access to SuccesFactors can access the modules on the TIDE website.

This second session will begin with a brief recap of the content of Part 1, followed by a more in-depth discussion of ways to recognize when bias, stereotypes, or tropes may influence common processes and situations in academia. Participants will work in small groups to analyze scenarios that represent common, problematic situations within research groups or departments, with a focus on identifying pragmatic strategies for changing negative dynamics, and identifying practices that may reduce the likelihood of such situations arising in the future. The goal of this session is to suggest collegial ways of interrupting bias, and to support conversations about how departmental practices might shift to increase inclusion.