Statement and Action on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity
The School's Statement and Action on Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity outlines the principles that guide its work and its commitment to creating an equitable, respectful and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff.
Read the School's full statement (English, français)
Our Commitment
The School of Kinesiology and Health Science upholds a commitment to creating and maintaining a transformative, equitable, diverse, and inclusive community where students, faculty, and staff are welcome and feel safe and secure, while acknowledging lived experiences and ongoing harms.
Our Approach
The School does not tolerate discrimination in any form. Creating an inclusive environment requires systemic policies, sustained action and individual commitment to learning and reflection. We work to identify and address barriers to learning and work across campus, in virtual spaces and in the broader York community, recognizing the diverse experiences of our community members.
If you witness or experience discrimination, resources are available to support you. To access these, along with resources related to decolonization, equity, diversity and inclusion – including frameworks, teaching tips and articles – visit the DEDI resources page.
Our Efforts
The Committee's work spans four sustained areas of focus, informed each year by the equity needs assessment, York's DEDI Strategy, and ongoing reflection within the School community.
Annual Highlights
Programming, event coordination, and organizational contributions from 2020 onward.
Get Involved
The DEDI Coalition, Committee structure, and how to participate.
About the DEDI Committee
The Kinesiology and Health Science (KHS) DEDI Committee was established in 2021-2022 in response to a third-party equity audit conducted by EDICATION Consulting, which assessed the equity needs and lived experiences of students, alumni, staff, and faculty across the School. The Committee was designed as a standing body that returns each year to set priorities, review progress, and adapt to changing institutional and social contexts.
The Committee's mandate is to support the School in its long-term commitment to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive community. Its work is anchored in five priority areas identified in the 2020 audit and reviewed at the start of each academic year in relation to York's DEDI Strategy (2023-2028).
Five Priority Areas
Teaching and learning
Recruitment and representation
Support for DEDI implementation
Accountability
Community building
The Committee meets monthly and makes decisions through consensus-based processes grounded in shared DEDI values. It is co-led by two faculty Co-Chairs, and includes representation from faculty, staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and sessional instructors. The Committee is mindful that DEDI work should not fall disproportionately on those experiencing inequities, and that no member should feel compelled to disclose personal information in order to contribute.
Land Acknowledgement
First Nations peoples have lived on this part of Turtle Island for millennia, stewarding the land, the water and all that contributes to life in this region. Today, the culture and presence of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples enrich the lands and people of this territory.
More than two centuries ago, the Mississauga people welcomed settlers to this territory, providing sustenance and engaging in trade and commerce. Between 1781 and 1820, eight treaties were signed between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who opened their territory to settlement. Today, York University’s Keele Campus is located on Toronto Purchase Treaty, No. 13 lands and is situated on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee.
Treaty history is foundational, and it is our collective responsibility to honour the land, as we honour and respect those who have gone before us, those who are here and those who have yet to come. We are grateful for the opportunity to be learning, working and thriving on this land, and we commit to learn the truth and be active in the process of reconciliation.
For more information about York University's land acknowledgement and Indigenous initiatives, please visit the Land Acknowledgment- Indigenous Initiatives page.