TORONTO — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) warned the University of Alberta about the dangers of dropping EDI considerations from recruitment and hiring policy. Instead of reconsidering or providing a strong defence for the policy change, U of A has gone ahead with this ill-advised and rights-cancelling move.
“We strongly condemn the University of Alberta Board of Governors’ decision to eliminate explicit Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) commitments from the university’s recruitment and hiring policy”, said Harini Sivalingam, Director of Equality at the CCLA. “This decision undermines substantive equality and risks weakening protections against systemic discrimination in academic employment.’
Equity initiatives are not unlawful or preferential — they are a recognized and protected part of Canada’s human rights framework. Eliminating EDI commitments in hiring risks undermining the University’s ability to ensure fair and inclusive hiring and sends the wrong message about the University’s commitment to equality and inclusion. To do so without any evidence of a problem that need to be addressed, or a business case of any kind, smacks of catering to external influence.
“This decision is not merely administrative,” added Howard Sapers, Executive Director at the CCLA. “It is a statement about how the University under-values equality and fairness, as well as its obligations under Canadian human rights law. Public institutions must remain firmly committed to advancing substantive equality instead of eroding it”
Both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Alberta Human Rights Act explicitly protect programs designed to address historic disadvantage and systemic discrimination. As a publicly funded institution exercising statutory authority, the University of Alberta must act in a manner consistent with human rights principles and Charter values.
The CCLA urges the University to reconsider this decision. Retreating from clear equity commitments creates uncertainty about how the University will ensure fair and inclusive hiring and may expose the institution to reputational and legal risk.
Read CCLA’s letter to the Board of Governors sent on March 16, 2026 here.
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
For the Media
For further comments, please contact us at media@ccla.org.
English (Canada) 
Français du Canada