University of Alberta Pioneers Shift Away from Race-Centric Hiring Practices
The University of Alberta is preparing to make history as the first major Canadian university to abandon race-centric hiring policies, a significant policy reversal that could potentially expose the institution to federal litigation. This groundbreaking move represents a dramatic departure from the equity, diversity, and inclusion frameworks that have become increasingly common across Canadian higher education institutions.
From Equity Priorities Back to Qualifications-Based System
Under the current recruitment policy adopted in 2011, the University of Alberta has prioritized hiring "persons historically under-represented at the University," a category encompassing women, disabled individuals, Indigenous people, and members of visible minority groups. However, a draft revision currently advancing to the school's board of governors proposes discarding these specific clauses entirely, returning the institution to a system focused exclusively on qualifications and merit.
This policy reversal marks the first major change since the university announced last year that it would abandon its adherence to the principle of "equity, diversity and inclusion" (EDI). University President Bill Flanagan explained this philosophical shift in a January 2025 op-ed for the Edmonton Journal, noting that "for some, the language of EDI has become polarizing, focusing more on what divides us rather than our shared humanity. Some perceive an ideological bias at odds with merit."
The EDI Framework and Its Implementation Challenges
The fundamental principle underlying EDI initiatives assumes that any differential outcome in hiring or admissions constitutes evidence of institutional racism or discrimination. According to this perspective, if a university's demographic composition doesn't precisely mirror the general population across race, gender, and sexual identity categories, this discrepancy inherently indicates the presence of "systemic barriers" requiring intervention.
The University of Alberta's now-discarded EDI strategy explicitly stated: "we recognize that policies, practices, informal processes, and language created by and for particular groups of people, with a default norm in mind, produce structural barriers that limit access and inclusion for other individuals and groups." This framework then prescribed special accommodations for what it termed "equity-seeking" groups.
Comparative Context Within Canadian Higher Education
Interestingly, among Canadian universities, the University of Alberta has traditionally implemented EDI policies with less zeal than many peer institutions. According to a 2025 report by the Aristotle Foundation, while the university's job postings mentioned EDI as a recruitment factor, the school generally avoided some of the more extreme practices adopted elsewhere.
These more aggressive approaches include requiring candidates to complete detailed surveys about their various identities or actively limiting positions to specific racial groups. For instance, the University of British Columbia currently maintains several job postings restricted exclusively to candidates who "identify as Black." Other Canadian universities have experimented with race-centric admissions processes and race-segregated student spaces and events.
Toronto Metropolitan University exemplifies this trend, having opened a student lounge in 2022 limited exclusively to Black students and implementing a policy requiring that a majority of medical school admissions proceed through "equity pathways." Against this backdrop, the University of Alberta's decision to return to qualifications-based hiring represents a significant departure from prevailing trends in Canadian higher education.
The policy change, if approved by the board of governors, will position the University of Alberta as a pioneer in rethinking how Canadian universities approach hiring and diversity initiatives, potentially setting a precedent for other institutions grappling with similar questions about merit, equity, and institutional priorities.
