Equality vs. Equity: The Crisis of Race-Based Admissions in Canadian Universities

Commentary

This policy sends a clear message: Admission to professional programs is now increasingly determined by identity rather than merit.

This explicit form of race-based discrimination directly contradicts the values that have long shaped Canadian society—the principle that discrimination based on race is wrong and has no place in a civilized world.

At the heart of this issue is a fundamental violation of the core academic principle that individuals should be judged based on their scholarly merits and qualifications, not their race or identity. This principle is essential to academic integrity, where merit and intellectual achievement have historically been the primary criteria for admission and advancement. We abandon this standard at our peril.

TMU’s policy is far from an isolated instance but represents a broader shift in Canadian universities. The movement from equality of opportunity to equity has redefined how institutions approach admissions, hiring, and advancement.

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The distinction between equality and equity is crucial. Equality ensures fairness by treating all individuals the same, while equity seeks to engineer equal outcomes by prioritizing specific groups based on race, gender, or identity.

This shift is ominous. When identity takes precedence over merit, universities undermine the intellectual principles that drive genuine learning—critical thinking, intellectual honesty, and the relentless pursuit of truth. By sacrificing these values, universities risk losing their role as places that challenge minds and elevate scholarly achievement.

The belief that racism and discrimination are wrong has been a foundational principle of Canadian society. Yet under the banner of equity, universities are implementing policies that explicitly discriminate based on race. TMU’s race-based admissions policy is symptomatic of a larger crisis. Many Canadian universities have adopted equity-based policies reflecting a growing trend in the academy, prioritizing identity politics over rigorous academic standards.

Canada’s legal framework enables this shift. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, often seen as a triumph of individual rights, has been interpreted to allow universities to prioritize certain racial and gender groups under the pretext of addressing historical disadvantages. While Section 15(1) of the Charter guarantees equality under the law, Section 15(2) explicitly allows for laws and programs that aim to improve conditions for disadvantaged groups. This legal mechanism has been used to justify policies that undermine the principle of equal treatment under the law.

As Queen’s University law professor Bruce Pardy aptly notes, “In Canada, discrimination is lawful as long as it is committed against the right groups—and in particular against straight white men.” This represents a troubling departure from the commitment to equality that once defined academic institutions.

The shift from equality to equity also marks a profound departure from principles of fairness and academic merit. Historically, universities were dedicated to ensuring everyone was treated fairly and judged based on their achievements. Today, however, universities increasingly prioritize proportional representation based on race, gender, and identity, often at the expense of merit and effort.

When identity takes precedence over merit, the academic mission of universities is compromised. The pursuit of excellence is sacrificed in favour of equal outcomes, leading to a system in which racial discrimination can be justified in the name of equity. As Prof. Pardy observes: “Equal treatment and equity are opposites. The law cannot simultaneously apply the same standards to everyone while adjusting them based on group identity. These principles are mutually exclusive.”

By replacing equality with equity, higher education jeopardizes its core intellectual values: the disinterested pursuit of truth, merit-based advancement, and respect for individual dignity. Universities that pursue equity at all costs undermine the intellectual and moral standards critical for academic and societal progress. To borrow from Dostoevsky, an abstract commitment to equity risks leading to universal madness, where good intentions produce absurd and unjust results.

The future of Canadian universities depends on fostering a meritocratic environment in which students and faculty are treated equally and evaluated on the scholarly merits and academic achievements, and not their race or identity. Only by renewing this commitment to intellectual excellence and equal treatment can we reverse the troubling trends that have taken root in higher education.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.