The Presidential Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility (PACHREA)

The Presidential Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility (PACHREA) is a standing advisory committee to the President and Vice-Chancellor of Trent University.

Its purpose is to oversee the formulation, implementation, monitoring and review of the University's equality, diversity and disability policies and practice and to assist the Director of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility in preparing and maintaining an institutional action plan to ensure that these policies are translated into programs of action and to report annually to Board of Governors on such matters.

 

The following are the Committee's three (3) key areas of responsibility:

1. Human Rights and Non-discrimination

• Work with the President and Vice-Chancellor, and the Director of Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility to support and promote human rights within the Trent University community.

 

• Develop human rights education objectives and events for the University community, including information sessions for supervisory and administrative officers.

 

• Ensure that all groups, including staff, faculty, students and librarians, receive adequate information about their rights and responsibilities under Trent University's Policy on Discrimination and Harassment.

 

• Identify particular types of discrimination and harassment that occur in the Trent community and advise on creation of preventative strategies.

 

• Monitor the functioning of the Policy on Discrimination and Harassment and advise the President and Vice-Chancellor accordingly.

 

• Respond as a unified committee to concerns or questions raised by the greater University community, where appropriate.

 

2. Employment Equity

 

• Maintain a focus on the development, review and extension of policies and strategies affecting equity and diversity in employment with respect to all University staff.

 

• Provide advice and feedback to the President and Vice Chancellor on strategic planning, education and communication issues pertaining to employment equity.

 

• Work to identify and eliminate all forms of discrimination in recruitment and retention of employees at Trent University.

 

• Review the progress of employment equity and diversity goals against the plans, targets and recommendations of reviews of University units.

 

• Ensure the career development of cross-cultural awareness training to support the positive inclusion of groups identified by employment equity.

 

• Review of recruitment and promotion data in terms of women, visible minorities, aboriginal Canadians and persons with disabilities to improve representation in all areas of employment at Trent University.

 

3) Accessibility

 

• Create a barrier-free university environment and culture by planning, prioritizing, and recommending projects and activities in support of access and full participation in university life.

 

• Make recommendations regarding access standards to be followed by the University.

 

• Determine access upgrade requirements through reviews of physical access audits of the University.

 

• Develop short and long-term plans to address barriers to physical access, including establishing upgrade priorities on an annual basis.

 

• Assist in preparation of reports for government or other funding sources.

 

• Identify areas where training is needed for persons with disabilities in compliance with the Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).