Diversity and inclusion

At McGill we aim to develop an equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus which includes our digital spaces. It is important that we take the necessary steps to align our digital communications with these goals and reflect the University’s mission.

For more information about diversity and inclusion initiatives and learning opportunities at McGill, visit mcgill.ca/equity.

• Ensure diversity in your community is represented in photos and graphics. Where possible, use images of real members of the McGill community in natural and representative groupings. 
• Consider the user experience of all members of your community when creating and structuring content.  
• Unless it’s critical or relevant to your content, avoid descriptors of a person’s race, age, religion, gender, abilities, and sexuality.
• Include an acknowledgement of the traditional territory - For more information, see the Office of the Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies)’s Tips for land acknowledgements and McGill’s acknowledgement of traditional territory.

Gender-neutral language

Replace gendered nouns (such as "man" and words ending in "man") with more gender-neutral language.

• first-year student, not freshman
• chair or chairperson, not chairman
• humanity, not mankind

Referring to people or groups of people of varying gender using masculine pronouns is no longer recommended. The use of "he/she" and similar constructions excludes individuals who don’t refer to themselves using either pronoun. Consider replacing those pronouns with a gender-neutral noun:

Or use plural nouns to remove the need for gendered language:

The pronoun “they/their” is an acceptable gender-neutral option for singular pronouns if it makes sense for your writing: 

• Every student must submit their art portfolio before June 26, 2020. 

Resources from McGill’s Web Services team 

• Make sites accessible digital standard
• Gender-neutral language page