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Welcome to the Department of Equity Studies

Urging fundamental transformative changes in our society

The Department of Equity Studies is rooted in a learning environment that values cultural diversity and promotes political, economic, racial and gender equity. Our interdisciplinary approach to social justice is ideal for students passionate about human rights and advocacy.

Here’s how we stand out:

  • Our course material reflects diverse faculty and their areas of research, experience, and commitment to social justice in the community and University.
  • Our department is committed to a Critical Human Rights program of scholarly study that includes promoting social justice. We fight against all forms of discrimination and seek justice for all.
  • We are steadfast in our work to end the historical and current violence against children, women, people with disabilities, Indigenous and racialized persons. We support Black Lives Matter in mobilizing communities into action.
  • We use human-rights-specific research methods to study urgent issues such as racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, gender equity, and refugee and immigration policies.
  • Our Faculty provides a safe learning environment inviting critical thinking, reading and writing. We encourage informed debate within a scholarly context.
  • Our faculty are engaged in vibrant research and publishing. They also travel and train internationally, bringing that experience back to the classroom.

Read our Land Acknowledgment, which recognizes the unique and enduring relationship of Indigenous people and their traditional territory.

All of our classrooms are open to student dialogue. Students feel free to discuss their points of view. Their points of view are very important. We coach them. We help them. It's not all about grades - it's about how you learn.

— Merle Jacobs
Associate Professor, Equity Studies