News Analysis
On the first day of 2025, the University of Alberta moved away from the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) model, becoming the first campus in Canada and one of the latest in North America to step back from the framework.
The University of Alberta (U of A) is following a trend already underway in the United States, where several universities have turned away from DEI, citing concerns about freedom of speech, saying the model emphasizes identity over merit, or arguing it leads to preferential treatment—or exclusion—of people based on their race, colour, gender, or national origin.
It was time for the institution to “evolve” by adopting aspirations that “resonate more universally,” U of A president Bill Flanagan said in a Jan. 2 opinion piece in the Edmonton Journal, referring to DEI using the alternate acronym of EDI—putting equity first, followed by diversity and inclusivity….