Appendix B: Diversity and Inclusion Terminology

Ableism: Attitudes in society that devalue and limit the potential of persons with disabilities. People with disabilities are assumed to be less worthy of respect and consideration, less able to contribute and take part in society, and of less value than other people. Ableism can be conscious or unconscious, and is embedded in institutions, systems or the broader culture of a society.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms.  Accessed December 23, 2019.

Aboriginal/Indigenous Peoples: A collective name for the original people of North America and their descendants. The Canadian Constitution (the Constitution Act, 1982) recognizes three groups of Aboriginal Peoples—First Nations, Métis and Inuit—as separate peoples with unique heritages, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Access: The ability of individuals to enter and participate equitably and impartially in education, health care, employment, services and other programs. Accessibility speaks to ease of access, functionality and the potential benefit that some systems or practices may provide one group but not another. It also describes the level to which services or programs are accessible to as many individuals as possible.

Source: American Dental Education Association (ADEA). ADEA Access, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Framework 1-1. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Accessibility: The extent to which a facility is readily approachable and usable by individuals with disabilities, particularly such areas as the web, classrooms, clinical spaces, personnel office, worksite and public areas.

Source: Adapted from  ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Affirmative action: Action designed to address the historic disadvantage that identifiable groups (e.g., women and racialized persons) have experienced by increasing their representation in employment and/or higher education.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Ageism: Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on differences in age, usually that of younger persons against older persons.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Ally: Someone who confronts heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heterosexual and gender-straight privilege in themselves and others; a concern for the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people; and a belief that heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are social justice issues.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Antidiscrimination laws: Federal, state and local laws that prohibit the government and/or private organizations from discriminating against someone based on certain personal characteristics, such as race, religion, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Anti-semitism: The fear or hatred of Jews, Judaism and related symbols.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions.  Accessed December 23, 2019.

Belonging: The extent to which a person feels connected to or a part of the campus community and includes one’s subjective evaluation of the quality of connections with others on campus or in the community. A sense of belonging contains both cognitive and affective aspects of the individual’s cognitive assessment of their role in relationship to the group. Factors that may impact belongingness for historically underrepresented and marginalized groups include: interactions with diverse peers, campus engagement in activities, the view of the overall climate and exposure to bias, harassing or discriminatory treatment.

Sources: Adapted from Lewis JA, Mendenhall R, Ojiemwen A et al. Racial Microaggressions and Sense of Belonging at a Historically White University. American Behavioral Scientist. 2019:1-23 citing Hurtado S and Carter D. Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latino students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education. 1997;(70):324-345; Johnson, D R, Soldner M, Leonard JB, et al. Examining sense of belonging among first-year undergraduates from different racial/ethnic groups. Journal of College Student Development. 2007;48: 525-542 and Strayhorn TL. Fittin’ in: Do diverse interactions with peers affect sense of belonging for Black men at predominantly White institutions. NASPA Journal. 2008;45: 501-527.

Bias: Prejudice; an inclination or preference, especially one that interferes with impartial judgment.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Binary: The idea that there are only two genders—male/female or man/woman—and that a person must be strictly gendered as either/or. (See also “Identity Sphere.”)

Source: Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Bisexual: A person emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to males/men and females/women. This attraction does not have to be equally split between genders and there may be a preference for one gender over others.

Source: Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Bullying: Unwanted, repetitive and aggressive behavior marked by an imbalance of power. It can take on multiple forms including physical (e.g., hitting), verbal (e.g., name calling or making threats), relational (e.g., spreading rumors) and electronic (e.g., texting, social networking).

Source: Rossen, E and Cowan KC. A framework for schoolwide bullying prevention and safety [Brief]. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists, 2012.

Burnout: A syndrome of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion and a sense of low personal accomplishment. Physicians often develop burnout incrementally due to chronic increases of stress, inefficiency and excessive workload.

Source: Swensen S, Shanafelt T, Mohta NS. Leadership survey: Why physician burnout is endemic, and how health care must respond. NEJM Catalyst, Insights Report. Dec. 8, 2016. Accessed: October 4, 2018.

Cisgender: Someone who feels comfortable with the gender identity and gender expression expectations assigned to them based on their physical sex.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Classism: Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on difference in socioeconomic status, income and class, usually by upper classes against lower classes.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Cognitive Error: The selection and evaluation processes we undertake on a daily basis that are “contaminated,” despite our good intentions. The contaminants—generically termed “cognitive shortcuts and errors”—are present as we gather and sort through information, interpret it and reach decisions about the following: candidates for jobs, tenure/promotion, and contract renewals; applications for grants; nominations for awards and leadership posts as well as colleagues’ and students’ professional and academic performance; mastery of new concepts and skills; publications; exhibits; and other demonstrations of mastery and creativity. 

According to J. Moody, these errors are made quickly and automatically, have disproportionately damaging effects and result in the undervaluing and frequent rejection of underrepresented women and historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.  

Source: Moody J. Faculty Diversity: Removing the Barriers. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge; 2012.

Compulsory Heterosexuality: The hegemony of heterosexual relationships as well as social expectations that heterosexuality is the norm and all other sexual orientations are deviant.

The term compulsory heterosexuality is often used within groups that advocate for the rights of people whose sexuality or gender identity differs from heterosexuality, including intersex people, transgender people, gay people, or asexual people. The concept of compulsory heterosexuality is closely tied to the concept of heterosexual privilege, a system that preserves the rights of heterosexual people and enables heterosexual people to benefit from rights that non-heterosexual people do not have access.

Common examples of compulsory heterosexuality include:

• The assumption that children will marry a person of the other sex and the grooming and socialization of children for heterosexuality.
• Sexual education books that exclusively discuss heterosexuality.
• Religious and secular organizations that assume all members are heterosexual or treat heterosexuality as the norm.
• The belief that anyone can be heterosexual and that, even if one must pretend to be heterosexual, this is better than being homosexual.

Almost everyone participates in compulsory heterosexuality in some way, and the social assumption of heterosexuality is not in itself homophobic. However, compulsory heterosexuality contributes to homophobia by marginalizing non-heterosexuals, treating heterosexuality as the superior default, and decreasing awareness of the large number of people within the population who are not heterosexual.

Source: Good Therapy. Heterosexual. Accessed January 9, 2020.

Culture: The languages, customs, beliefs, rules, arts, knowledge and collective identities and memories developed by members of all social groups that make their social environments meaningful.

Source: American Sociological Association. Culture. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Cultural Appropriation: The non-consensual/misappropriated use of cultural elements for commodification or profit purposes, such as symbols, art, language, customs, etc., often without understanding, acknowledgment or respect for its value in the original culture.

Source: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Cultural Competence: A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enable the system, agency or professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. The word “culture” is used because it implies the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values and institutions of a racial, ethnic, religious or social group. The word competence is used because it implies having the capacity to function effectively. A culturally competent system of care or educational program acknowledges and incorporates—at all levels—the importance of culture, the assessment of cross-cultural relations, vigilance towards the dynamics that result from cultural differences, the expansion of cultural knowledge and the adaptation of services to meet the culturally-unique needs of patients, students, faculty, staff and communities. Cultural competence is not a static place or a destination; we are all on a continuum in which constantly seek improvement and to become more culturally competent.

Source: Adapted from Cross, TL, Bazron, BJ, Dennis KW, Isaacs, MR. 2010. TOWARDS A CULTURALLY COMPETENT SYSTEM OF CARE A Monograph on Effective Services for Minority Children Who Are Severely Emotionally Disturbed. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Child Development Center.

Cultural Humility: A lifelong process of self-reflection, self-critique and commitment to understanding and respecting different points of view, and engaging with others humbly, authentically and from a place of learning. 

Source: Gallardo, ME. Developing cultural humility: embracing race, privilege and power. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2013.

Cultural intelligence: The ability to understand complex cultural dynamics and make multicultural connections across different work platforms and teams and work effectively in diverse situations. Cultural Intelligence is composed of three key elements: 1) cultural knowledge, 2) cross-cultural skills and 3) cultural metacognition or cultural mindfulness. Individuals with a high degree of cultural intelligence are usually known for their innovation, networking and ability to serve as a conduit between fragmented units within the organization by transferring knowledge and resources across groups.

Source: Adapted from IESE Business School. Why You Need Cultural Intelligence (And How to Develop It), Forbes. March 24, 2015. Accessed: July 5, 2018.

Cultural Tax: Coined by Amado Padilla in 1994, “cultural taxation” is the burden where additional responsibilities are placed upon historically underrepresented racial/ethnic and marginalized faculty because of their gender identity, sexual orientation and ethno-racial backgrounds. These responsibilities include serving on numerous committees, advising larger numbers of students and serving as “departmental experts” for their particular group. These expectations are not placed as heavily upon white faculty and can impede career progress and affect job satisfaction. While the campus benefits from their presence and voices, workers are not compensated for these tasks. Instead, this tax leads to a second stressor: a heavier workload.

Sources: Adapted from Joseph TD, Hirshfield L. “Why Don’t You Get Somebody New To Do It?’: Race and Cultural Taxation in the Academy.” Journal of Ethnic and Racial Studies. 2010;34 :121-141; Burns E. Managing ‘Cultural Taxation’ and Combating Burnout: Tips and Resources for Underrepresented Faculty and Staff. Higher Education Recruitment Consortium. June 24, 2019. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Disability: There are two common ways of looking at what disability is.

One way is to see a disability is as a medical condition that a person has. From this perspective, disability covers a broad range and degree of conditions, some visible and some not visible. A disability may have been present from birth, caused by an accident or developed over time. There are physical, mental, cognitive and learning disabilities, mental disorders, hearing or vision disabilities, epilepsy, drug and alcohol dependencies, environmental sensitivities and other conditions.

A newer way of looking at disability is that it is not something a person has. A person with a medical condition is not necessarily prevented (or disabled) from fully taking part in society. If society is designed to be accessible and include everyone, then people with medical conditions often don’t have a problem taking part. From this point of view, disability is a problem that occurs when a person’s environment is not designed to suit their abilities.

Disability is thus not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which they live. Overcoming the difficulties faced by people with disabilities requires interventions to remove environmental and social barriers.

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), defines “disability” by law, with respect to an individual, as:

1. a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual;
2. a record of such an impairment; or
3. being regarded as having such an impairment.

“Major life activities” include, but are not limited to, learning, speaking, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, working or the ability to care for oneself. Under the protection of the ADA, a disabled person is ensured equal opportunity to fully participate in postsecondary education.

Sources: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.; World Health Organization. Health Topics – Disabilities. Accessed December 23, 2019; Americans With Disabilities Act. Accessed December 24, 2019.

Discrimination: The unequal treatment of members of various groups, based on conscious or unconscious prejudice, which favor one group over others on differences of race, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, language, age, national identity, religion and other categories.

Source: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Diversity: Recognizes that each individual is unique with multiple dimensions of diversity that intersect, whether seen or unseen, and that society and community life benefit  from the engagement of these differences regardless of culture, values, beliefs, race, ethnicity, language, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, military/veteran status, disabilities, religion, economic status, geography or other characteristics or ideologies.

Source: American Dental Education Association (ADEA). ADEA Access, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Framework 1-1. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Diverse faculty: For purposes of the ADEA FDT, diverse faculty is defined as the following historically underrepresented groups: women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals with disabilities, and historically underrepresented racial and ethnic populations at U.S. and Canadian dental schools and programs: Black or African American, Hispanic and Latinx, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples (Canada) and Visible Minorities (Canada). Typically, these diverse groups have not only low faculty representation within postsecondary and dental education but also are more likely to experience incidents of bias, micro/macroaggressions and systemic discrimination. The phrase “historically underrepresented racial and ethnic” is used to refer to racial and ethnic faculty groups in the U.S. and Canada who are underrepresented in dental education. They include Black or African American, Hispanic and Latinx, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples (Canada) and Visible Minorities (Canada).

Dominant culture: The cultural values, beliefs and practices that are assumed to be the most common and influential within a given society. 

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Equal protection: A U.S. constitutional guarantee that the government will treat one person or group of people the same way that it would treat any other person or group of people under the same circumstances.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Equality: Access or provision of equal opportunities, where individuals are protected from being discriminated against. Equality implies elements of sameness in opportunity, but does not focus on fairness in outcomes. Equality assumes an equal “starting place” of all individuals.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Equity: The fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to assist in the provision of adequate opportunities to all groups.

Source: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Equity mindedness: A phrase used by Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon, a professor at the University of Southern California, equity mindedness “involves being conscious of the ways that higher education—through practices, policies, expectations and unspoken rules—places responsibility for [student, staff and faculty] success on the very groups that have experienced marginalization, rather than on individuals and institutions whose responsibility it is to remedy that marginalization.”

Source: Witham K, Malcom-Piqueux LE, Dowd AC and Bensimon EM. America’s Unmet Promise: The Imperative for Equity in Higher Education. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2015.

Ethnicity: A social construct that divides people into smaller social groups based on characteristics such as shared sense of group membership, values, behavioral patterns, language, political and economic interests, history and ancestral geographical base. Examples of different ethnic groups are Cape Verdean, Haitian and African American (Black); Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese (Asian); Cherokee, Mohawk and Navaho (Native American); Cuban, Mexican and Puerto Rican (Latinx); and Polish, Irish and Swedish (White).

Source: Adams M, Bell LA, and Griffin P. Teaching for diversity and social justice: a sourcebook. New York: Routledge, 1997.

First Amendment: A provision of the U.S. Constitution that guarantees freedoms of association and expression, including freedom of speech.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

First Nation(s)/First Nations People: This term became common use in the 1970s to replace the word “Indian.” Although the term “First Nation” is widely used, no legal definition exists. The term has also been adopted to replace the word “Band” in the naming of communities. Many people today prefer to be called “First Nations” or “First Nations People” instead of “Indians.” Generally, “First Nations People” is used to describe both Status and Non-Status Indians. The term is rarely used as a synonym for “Aboriginal Peoples” because it usually does not include Inuit or Métis people.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Freedom of speech: The U.S. constitutional right to express your thoughts, ideas and opinions without interference from the government.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Gay: There are two common ways of defining this word. 1) Term used in some cultural settings to represent males who are attracted to males in a romantic, erotic and/or emotional sense. Not all men who engage in “homosexual behavior” identify as gay, and as such this label should be used with caution. 2) Term used to refer to the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole or as an individual identity label for anyone who does not identify as heterosexual.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Gender: A social and cultural construct, which distinguishes differences in the attributes of men and women, girls and boys and accordingly, refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women. Gender-based roles and other attributes, therefore, change over time and vary with different cultural contexts. The concept of gender includes the expectations held about the characteristics, aptitudes and likely behaviors of both women and men (femininity and masculinity). This concept is useful in analyzing how commonly shared practices legitimize discrepancies between sexes.

Source: UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia. Glossary of Terms and Concepts. November 2017. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Gender-based Violence: Violence derived from gender norms and roles as well as from unequal power relations between women and men. Violence is specifically targeted against a person because of his or her gender, and it affects women disproportionately. It includes—but is not limited to—physical, sexual and psychological harm, including intimidation, suffering, coercion and/or deprivation of liberty within the family or within the general community. It also includes violence perpetuated by the state.

Source: Jhpiego Gender Analysis Toolkit for Health Systems. Gender Concepts and Definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Gender Expression: The outward manifestation of internal gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, mannerisms and other characteristics.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Gender Identity: A person’s sense of being masculine, feminine or other gendered.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Gender Neutral Pronouns: The use of pronouns in writing and speaking that are neutral and do not necessarily identify with the binary language of male or female (she/her/hers or he/him/his). See the University of Minnesota Center Writing Nonbinary gender pronouns for additional guidance.

Source: Adapted from Anti-Defamation League. Let’s Get it Right: Using Correct Pronouns and Names. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Gender-nonconforming: Behaving in a way that does not match social stereotypes about female or male gender, usually through dress or physical appearance.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Harassment: Actions or words that harm or distress a person and do not otherwise serve a legitimate purpose. Harassment often interferes with the ability to take full advantage of educational opportunities.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Hate Crime: Hate crime legislation often defines a “hate crime” as a crime motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability or sexual orientation of any person.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Heterosexual: A person who is sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex. Note, biologist Alfred Kinsey developed the Kinsey Scale after conducting intensive studies of sexual practices. He emphasized that sexuality is a continuum rather than a dichotomy between two preferences. The scale runs from zero to six, with zero being exclusively heterosexual and six being exclusively homosexual.

Sources: Cambridge Dictionary. Heterosexual. Accessed January 9, 2020; Good Therapy. Heterosexual. Accessed January 9, 2020.

Heterosexism: The presumption that everyone is heterosexual and/or the belief that heterosexual people are naturally superior to homosexual and bisexual people.

Source: Jhpiego Gender Analysis Toolkit for Health Systems. Gender Concepts and Definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Heteronomorativity: The pressure to conform to heterosexual norms and the social presumption that all people are heterosexual.

Source: Good Therapy. Heterosexual. Accessed January 9, 2020.

Homophobia: The irrational aversion to, fear or hatred of gay, lesbian or bisexual people and communities or of behaviors stereotyped as “homosexual.”

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Homosexual: A person primarily emotionally, physically and/or sexually attracted to members of the same sex. 

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Humanistic environment: A humanistic pedagogy inculcates respect, tolerance, understanding and concern for others and is fostered by mentoring, advising and small group interaction. A dental school environment characterized by respectful professional relationships between and among faculty and students establishes a context for developing the interpersonal skills necessary for learning, patient care and making meaningful contributions to the profession.

CODA Standard 1-3: The dental education program must have a stated commitment to a humanistic culture and learning environment that is regularly evaluated.

Intent: The dental education program should ensure collaboration, mutual respect, cooperation and harmonious relationships between and among administrators, faculty, students, staff and alumni. The program should also support and cultivate the development of professionalism and ethical behavior by fostering diversity of faculty, students and staff as well as open communication, leadership and scholarship.

Source: Commission on Dental Accreditation. Accreditation standards for dental education programs. Chicago, IL: CODA. Accessed October. 3, 2018.

Immigrant: Someone who moves from one country or region and intends to reside permanently in that country or region. Immigration means "in-migration" into a country, and is the reverse is emigration, or "out-migration." The long term and/or permanent movement of human population in general, whether into, out of or within countries (or before the existence of recognized countries) is regarded as migration.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Implicit bias (a.k.a. unconscious bias): Also referred to as “implicit social cognition,” implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner. These biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control. Residing deep in the subconscious, these biases are different from known biases that individuals may choose to conceal for the purposes of social and/or political correctness. Rather, implicit biases are not accessible through introspection.

The implicit associations we harbor in our subconscious cause us to have feelings and attitudes about other people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age and appearance. These associations develop over the course of a lifetime, beginning at a very early age through exposure to direct and indirect messages. In addition to early life experiences, media and news programming are often-cited origins of implicit associations.

Source: Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Understanding implicit bias. Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University. Accessed: Oct. 3, 2018.

Inclusion: The practice of leveraging diversity to ensure individuals can fully participate and perform at their best. Inclusion is a shared responsibility of everyone within the community. An inclusive environment values differences rather than suppressing them; promotes respect, success and a sense of belonging; and fosters well-being through policies, programs, practices, learning and dialogue.

Source: American Dental Education Association (ADEA). ADEA Access, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Framework 1-1. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Inclusive excellence: A process intended to help institutions establish a practice of comprehensive and well-coordinated systemic actions that focus specifically on fostering greater diversity, equity, inclusion and accountability at every level. The central premise holds that academic health organizations must intentionally integrate diversity efforts into their core values. Inclusive excellence should be evident in academic priorities, patient care, leadership, professional development, community engagement, student development, quality improvement initiatives, decision-making, day-to-day operations and organizational culture to maximize the institution’s mission. This practice is necessary to ensure a humanistic environment and a sustainable and inclusive organizational culture. 

Source: Adapted by the ADEA Diversity Inclusion and Advisory Committee from Inclusive Excellence. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin System. Available at www.wisconsin.edu/inclusive-excellence. Accessed: July 6, 2018.

Indigenous: Generally used in the international context, refers to peoples who are original to a particular land or territory. This term is very similar to “aboriginal” and has a positive connotation.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Internalized Racism: The situation that occurs in a racist system when a racial group oppressed by racism supports the supremacy and dominance of the dominating group by maintaining or participating in the set of attitudes, behaviors, social structures and ideologies that undergird the dominating group's power. It involves four essential and interconnected elements:

• Decision-making—Due to racism, people of color do not have the ultimate decision-making power over the decisions that control our lives and resources. As a result, on a personal level, we may think white people know more about what needs to be done for us than we do. On an interpersonal level, we may not support each other's authority and power—especially if it is in opposition to the dominating racial group. Structurally, there is a system in place that rewards people of color who support white supremacy and power and coerces or punishes those who do not.
• Resources—Resources, broadly defined (e.g., money, time, etc.), are unequally in the hands and under the control of white people. Internalized racism is the system in place that makes it difficult for people of color to get access to resources for our own communities and to control the resources of our community. We learn to believe that serving and using resources for ourselves and our particular community is not serving “everybody.”
• Standards—With internalized racism, the standards for what is appropriate or “normal” that people of color accept are white people's or Eurocentric standards. We have difficulty naming, communicating and living up to our deepest standards and values, and holding ourselves and each other accountable to them.
• Naming the problem—There is a system in place that misnames the problem of racism as a problem of or caused by people of color and blames the disease—the emotional, economic, political, etc., impact on people of color. With internalized racism, people of color might, for example, believe we are more violent than white people and not consider state-sanctioned political violence or the hidden or privatized violence of white people and the systems they put in place and support.

Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Racial Equity Resource Guide Glossary. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Intersectionality: This concept is based on the principle that identities are multifaceted and often intersect in complex ways. Complementary and competing identities (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, religion, age, worldview, political affiliation, immigrant status, class, disability/ability and more) intersect within an individual and may collide with structures of privilege and oppression as seen in historical, social, economic, political or legal contexts. As a result, when negotiating environments and power systems, historically marginalized individuals and groups may struggle in a need to preserve, protect and represent self. 

Source: Adapted by the ADEA Diversity Inclusion and Advisory Committee from Chung LC, Rendon LI. Educating for wholeness in the intersections. Washington, DC: AAC&U. Diversity & Democracy, Winter 2018;21(1):8-12. Accessed: Oct. 19, 2018.

Islamophobia: The irrational fear or hatred of Islam, Muslims, Islamic traditions and practices and, more broadly, those who appear to be Muslim.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Inuit: The Aboriginal Peoples of Arctic Canada who live primarily in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and northern parts of Labrador and Québec. The word Inuit means “people” in the Inuit language, Inuktitut. The singular of Inuit is Inuk. Their traditional languages, customs and cultures are distinctly different from those of the First Nations and Métis.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Lesbian: Term used to describe female-identified people attracted romantically, erotically and/or emotionally to other female-identified people. 

Source: Adapted from Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

LGBTQIA+: An inclusive term for those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Pansexual, Transgender, Genderqueer, Queer, Intersexed, Agender, Asexual, and Ally. The plus sign encompasses the additional diversity within the trans and queer community such as pansexual, demisexual, questioning, two-spirited and other orientations.

Source: Adapted from the University of Illinois Springfield Gender and Sexuality Student Services. LGBTQIA+ Terminology. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Marginalized: Persons excluded, ignored or relegated to the outer edge of a group/society/community.

Source: ASDAH Diversity and Social Justice – A glossary of working definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Marginalized Faculty: For purposes of the ADEA Faculty Diversity Toolkit, marginalized faculty is also used as a holistic and encompassing term that is representative of groups who have been systematically excluded from full participation in postsecondary education and who have historically faced considerable acts of bias and discrimination. These groups include individuals such as veterans, people of differing religious backgrounds, immigrants, refugees, migrants and individuals from a low socioeconomic and/or rural background.

Microaggression: The verbal, nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs, insults or belittlement, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages to target persons based solely upon discriminatory belief systems.

Source: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Model Minority: A term created by sociologist William Peterson to describe the Japanese community, whom he saw as being able to overcome oppression because of their cultural values.

While individuals employing the “model minority” trope may think they are being complimentary, in fact the term is related to colorism and, at its root, anti-Blackness. The model minority myth creates an understanding of ethnic groups, including Asian Americans, as a monolith, or as a mass whose parts cannot be distinguished from each other. The model minority myth can be understood as a tool that White supremacy uses to pit people of color against each other in order to protect its status.

Sources: MP Associates, Center for Assessment and Policy Development and World Trust Educational Services. Racial Equity Toolkit Glossary. 2019. Accessed January 5, 2020; The Power of Change and Center for Assessment and Policy Development and World Trust Educational Services. The Power of Words. Accessed January 5, 2020.

Nonbiary: A gender identity which falls outside of the gender binary, meaning an individual does not identify as strictly female or male. A nonbinary person can identify as both or neither male and female, or sometimes one or the other. There are several other terms used to describe gender identities outside of the male and female binary such as genderqueer, gender nonconforming, agender and bigender. Though these terms have slightly different meanings, they refer to an experience of gender outside of the binary.

Source: Out and Equal Workplace Advocates. Best Practices for Non-binary Inclusion in the Workplace. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Oppression: The systemic and pervasive nature of social inequality woven throughout social institutions as well as embedded within individual consciousness. Oppression fuses institutional and systemic discrimination, personal bias, bigotry and social prejudice in a complex web of relationships and structures.

Source: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

"People-first" or "person-first": Language that is used to describe disability that involves putting the word "person" or "people" before the word "disability" or the name of a disability, rather than placing the disability first and using it as an adjective. Some examples of people-first language might include saying "person with a disability," "woman with cerebral palsy," and "man with an intellectual disability." The purpose of people-first language is to promote the idea that someone’s disability label is just a disability label—not the defining characteristic of the entire individual.

Source: Syracuse University. Disability Cultural Center. Language Guide. Accessed December 23, 2019.

People of Color: A collective term for men and women of Asian, African, Latin and Native American backgrounds, as opposed to the collective “White.”

Source: Adapted from University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Power: The ability or official authority to decide what is best for others, the ability to decide who will have access to resources and/or the capacity to exercise control over others. 

Source: Adapted from Vanderbilt University. Power and Privilege Definitions. Understanding-Privilege-and-Oppression- Handout.doc. Accessed December 20, 2019. 

Prejudice: An inclination or preference, especially one that interferes with impartial judgment and can be rooted in stereotypes that deny the right of individual members of certain groups to be recognized and treated as individuals with individual characteristics. Prejudice is also a judgment or opinion that is formed on insufficient grounds before facts are known or in disregard of facts that contradict it. Prejudices are learned and can be unlearned. 

Sources: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019; adapted from Vanderbilt University. Power and Privilege Definitions. Understanding-Privilege-and-Oppression- Handout.doc. Accessed December 20, 2019. 

PRIDE: The idea and events celebrating the idea that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Privilege: Privilege operates on personal, interpersonal, cultural and institutional levels and gives advantages, favors and benefits to members of dominant groups at the expense of members of target groups. Privilege is characteristically invisible to people who have it. People in dominant groups often believe that they have earned the privileges that they enjoy or that everyone could have access to these privileges if only they worked to earn them. In fact, privileges are unearned, and they are granted to people in the dominant groups whether they want those privileges or not, and regardless of their stated intent.

Source: Adapted from Vanderbilt University. Power and Privilege Definitions. Understanding-Privilege-and-Oppression- Handout.doc. Accessed December 20, 2019. 

Race: There is no such thing as race—instead, it is a “social construct.” A social construct that artificially divides people into distinct groups based on characteristics such as physical appearance (particularly color), ancestral heritage, cultural affiliation, cultural history, ethnic classification and the social, economic and political needs of a society at a given period of time. See “Racialization.”

Sources: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019; University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Racialization: The process by which societies construct races as real, different and unequal in ways that matter and affect economic, political and social life.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Racism: A belief that one group is superior or inferior to others. Racism can be openly displayed in racial jokes, slurs or hate crimes. It can also be more deeply rooted in attitudes, values and stereotypical beliefs. In some cases, people don’t even realize they have these beliefs. Instead, they are assumptions that have evolved over time and have become part of systems and institutions.

Source: Ontario Human Rights Commission. Glossary of human rights terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Reasonable Accommodation: In the United States, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”) requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment, unless to do so would cause undue hardship. "In general, an accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities." There are three categories of "reasonable accommodations":

"(i) modifications or adjustments to a job application process that enable a qualified applicant with a disability to be considered for the position such qualified applicant desires; or

(ii) modifications or adjustments to the work environment, or to the manner or circumstances under which the position held or desired is customarily performed, that enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of that position; or

(iii) modifications or adjustments that enable a covered entity's employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by its other similarly situated employees without disabilities." 

The duty to provide reasonable accommodation is a fundamental statutory requirement because of the nature of discrimination faced by individuals with disabilities. Although many individuals with disabilities can apply for and perform jobs without any reasonable accommodations, there are workplace barriers that keep others from performing jobs which they could do with some form of accommodation. These barriers may be physical obstacles, such as inaccessible facilities or equipment, or they may be procedures or rules, such as rules concerning when work is performed, when breaks are taken, or how essential or marginal functions are performed. Reasonable accommodation removes workplace barriers for individuals with disabilities.

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance:Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans with Disabilities Act. October 17, 2002. Accessed January 5, 2020.

Resilience: The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress—"bouncing back" from difficult experiences, whether related to relationships, health, family, etc.

Source: Adapted from American Psychological Association. The Road to Resilience. Accessed December 19, 2019.

Safe Space: Refers to an environment in which everyone feels comfortable in expressing themselves and participating fully, without fear of attack, ridicule or denial of experience.

Source: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Sex: A medical term designating a certain combination of gonads, chromosomes, external gender organs, secondary sex characteristics and hormonal balances. Because usually subdivided into “male” and “female,” this category does not recognize the existence of intersexed bodies. The term usually refers to designation at birth.

Source: Adapted from Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Sexual Assault: Includes any type of sexual conduct, or sexual contact that is nonconsensual, forced or coerced when the victim is incapable of giving consent because of her or his temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity or because of her or his youth. 

Source: Adapted from Vanderbilt University. Power and Privilege Definitions. Understanding-Privilege-and-Oppression- Handout.doc. Accessed December 20, 2019.

Sexual Harassment: Defined by law and includes requests for sexual favors, sexual advances or other sexual conduct when 1) submission is either explicitly or implicitly a condition affecting academic or employment decisions; 2) the behavior is sufficiently severe or pervasive as to create an intimidating, hostile or repugnant environment; or 3) the behavior persists despite objection by the person to whom the conduct is directed. 

There are two types of sexual harassment, quid pro quo and hostile environment:

• Quid pro quo (meaning “this for that”) sexual harassment occurs when it is stated or implied that an academic or employment decision about a student or employee depends upon whether the student or employee submits to conduct of a sexual nature.
• Hostile environment sexual harassment occurs when unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive working or learning environment or is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it affects a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from a program or activity.

Source: University of Michigan Sexual Assault Prevention Awareness Center and Office of Institutional Equity. What is Sexual Harassment? Access December 23, 2019.

Sex Identity: How a person identifies physically: female, male, in between, beyond or neither.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Sexism: Any attitude, action or institutional structure which subordinates and subjugates a person or group because of gender (sex).The components of sexism are prejudice and discrimination.

Source: Racism and Sexism. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Sexual Orientation: The desire for intimate emotional and/or sexual relationships with people of the same gender/sex, another gender/sex or multiple genders/sexes.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Stereotype: An exaggerated or distorted belief that attributes characteristics to members of a particular group, simplistically lumping them together and refusing to acknowledge differences among members of the group.

Source: Adapted from Vanderbilt University. Power and Privilege Definitions. Understanding-Privilege-and-Oppression- Handout.doc. Accessed December 20, 2019.

Stereotype Threat: A term created by Claude Steel and Joshua Aronson, stereotype threat is “the threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype or the fear of doing something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype.” 

Sources: Steele, CM and Aronson J. Stereotype threat and intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1995:69(5);797-811.

Straight: Another term for heterosexual.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Tokenism: Presence without meaningful participation. For example, a superficial invitation for the participation of members of a certain socially oppressed group, who are expected to speak for the whole group without giving these participants a real opportunity to speak for themselves.

Source: University of Washington College of the Environment. Glossary – DEI Concepts. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Two-spirit: Native persons who have attributes of both genders, have distinct gender and social roles in their tribes and are often involved with mystical rituals (such as shamans). Their dress is usually mixture of male and female articles and they are seen as a separate or third gender. The term “two-spirit” is usually considered specific to the Zuni tribe. Similar identity labels vary by tribe and include “one-spirit” and “wintke.”

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Trans: An abbreviation that is sometimes used to refer to a gender-variant person. This use allows a person to state a gender-variant identity without having to disclose hormonal or surgical status/intentions. This term is sometimes used to refer to the gender-variant community as a whole.

Source: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019.

Transgender: A person who lives as a member of a gender other than that expected based on anatomical sex. Sexual orientation varies and is not dependent on gender identity.

Transgender is an umbrella term referring to individuals who do not identify with the sex category assigned to them at birth or whose identity or behavior falls outside of stereotypical gender norms. The term “transgender” encompasses a diverse array of gender identities and expressions, including identities that fit within a female/male classification and those that do not. Transgender is not the same as intersex, which refers to biological variation in sex characteristics, including chromosomes, gonads and/or genitals that do not allow an individual to be distinctly identified as female/male at birth.

Sources: Green ER and Peterson EN. LGBT Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Accessed: August 26, 2019; Jhpiego Gender Analysis Toolkit for Health Systems. Gender Concepts and Definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Transphobia: The fear or hatred of transgender people, often expressed as discrimination, harassment and violence.

Source: Lambda Legal. Glossary of LGBTQ Terms. Accessed December 23, 2019.

Visible Minorities: Refers to persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in color (as defined by the Canadian Employment Equity Act). Categories in the visible minority census variable include South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

Sources: Catalyst. Knowledge Center: Visible Minorities in Canada. April 9, 2018. Accessed October 12,2018; Statistics Canada. Aboriginal identity. Dictionary, Census Population, 2016. Accessed: October 12, 2018.

Well-being: Wellness refers to diverse and interconnected dimensions of physical, mental and social well-being that extend beyond the traditional definition of health. It includes choices and activities aimed at achieving physical vitality, mental alacrity, social satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment and personal fulfillment.

Source: Naci H, Ioannidis JPA. Evaluation of Wellness Determinants and Interventions by Citizen Scientists. JAMA. 2015;314(2):121–122.

Work-life Balance: Refers to having appropriate energy, time, support and resources outside of work environment to effectively manage “extracurricular” responsibilities or important life priorities without additional stress or fear of reprisal. This includes ensuring that workplace policies and practices are sufficiently flexible to enable all employees, regardless of gender identity, to undertake lifelong learning activities and further professional and personal development, not necessarily directly related to the employee’s job.

Source: Adapted from European Institute for Gender Equality. Concepts and definitions. Accessed December 23, 2019.