BA (Hon)(York), MA (McMaster)
Education is the bridge to equity. This belief guides Nancy Simms and her work in the areas of anti-violence, anti-discrimination, literacy, human resources, and human rights. Ms Simms’ contributions to social justice demonstrate that education is of enormous importance in the task of dismantling inequity. From her perspective, inequity takes the form of attitudinal, institutional, economic, and cultural barriers that diminish every person’s quality of life, regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, religion, and any other social locations. This belief has undergirded her undergraduate and graduate research in adult education, women’s studies, and equity, culminating in her most recent work, Against All Odds: Black Female Faculty Thriving in Post-Secondary Institutions.
At the Jane Finch Literacy Centre, Ms Simms taught first language literacy to Caribbean and Latin American women, and at George Brown College, she taught and developed courses in the Assaulted Women and Children’s program. During her time at the Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services, she was the Manager for sexual assault centres across the province of Ontario. As a Human Resources manager at Dynamex Canada, Ms Simms played a pivotal role in developing and introducing policies that made the corporation markedly better at complying with human rights and anti- discrimination legislation. Presently, She is the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity at Humber College where her principal task is to weave human rights and equity into the fabric of the collegecommunity at the individual, interpersonal, organizational and administrative levels.