A new report by the Aristotle Foundation finds the University of Toronto emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) more than other universities in hiring, which the foundation finds discriminatory.
"DEI and Academic Hiring in Public Universities: An Index of University Discrimination in Canada" by David Hunt, Collin May, Ven Venkatachalam, and Alex Emes analysed hiring processes across ten Canadian universities. The researchers say such policies disadvantage highly qualified candidates outside of these targeted groups.
The authors used eight categories to rank universities on a discrimination index. The University of Toronto topped the list with a score of 73.1, followed by UBC at 67.4%. The University of Alberta (U of A) was second-lowest at 30%, followed by New Brunswick (UNB) at 24.3%.
The authors found 89% of institutions have a strategic plan that refers to DEI, 83% have implemented DEI in some form, and 51% are developing, reviewing, and implementing DEI in faculty recruitment.
Between May 2023 and April 2024, 477 of 489 postings (98%) had a generic statement supporting DEI. At 88%, UBC had the least, while the universities of Alberta, Manitoba (U of M), New Brunswick, Saskatchewan (U of S), and Toronto included the statement in all postings.
Some academic job postings state that a job applicant’s contribution to DEI is “an asset.” This was the case for all postings at the University of Toronto, half of those at UBC, 29.4% at the U of M, 10% at U of A, and 5.9% at the U of S.
Universities typically use DEI surveys to gauge a candidate’s views on DEI policies or demonstrate how their research might advance DEI goals. McGill and the U of S did this for all job postings. This was also the case for 51% of postings at U of M, 30% at U of T, and 28% at UBC. This was never done for U of A positions.
Fully 26% of job postings required candidates to submit a written DEI statement or essay. This was so for 64% of UBC postings, 54.9% at U of M, 14% at U of A, and 9.8% at the U of S.
A more aggressive approach calls for the scholar to commit to DEI as a doctrine. A U of T advertisement for an Assistant Professor in Economics stated, “Candidates are also expected to show evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and the promotion of a respectful and collegial learning and working environment demonstrated through the application materials.”
This commitment was required at 26% of UBC jobs, falling to 10% at U of M, and 4% at the U of S. The U of A never required this.
A similar proportion of postings required candidates to contribute to DEI in some form. Toronto led in this requirement at 36%, followed by UBC at 32%. This was also so for 10% of U of A postings and 2% at U of M. UNB and U of S never required this.
One-tenth of postings at the U of T and U of S stated they were prioritizing applicants based on race, ethnicity, or other inherent or group identities. Across all universities, 3.9% of postings demonstrated preferential hiring. UNB, UBC, and McGill did not have preferential hiring.
However, UBC led the way in hirings exclusively for DEI categories, at 18%. Saskatchewan and Manitoba followed at 4%. Toronto, PEI, Alberta, and McGill had no such postings.
The researchers say some categories of diversity hiring get higher priority than others. Sciences and engineering have seen significant DEI interventions. However, male candidates from other underrepresented groups, such as indigenous peoples, were less favoured.
The report urges universities to change their approach and value both diversity and merit. The authors suggest diversity should include not just race and gender but also intellectual diversity, professional experience, and academic achievement. The study also advocates for greater transparency in the hiring process.