York University’s Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (CHREI) promotes and builds a respectful, equitable, diverse, and inclusive university community. We strive to be a leader in providing accessible, impartial, non-adversarial, and confidential programs and services that uphold human rights, facilitate equitable access to opportunities, and champion diversity and inclusion.
CHREI provides free services to current York students, faculty, and staff. To consult our team, call, leave us a message or e-mail us. Leave your name, email, and/or phone number and we will respond within 3 business days.
On this page
A Message from the Executive Director
“We all need to feel like we belong. We need to feel respected, valued and welcome to be our authentic selves. Belonging is an extension of equity, diversity, and inclusion. These values make the York University community a rich, dynamic, and rewarding place to study, work and learn.”
Marian MacGregor
Executive Director
Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (CHREI)
Our Work
We are York’s source for upholding human rights through teaching, community engagement, and case resolution services.
We help remove barriers and increase access through policies, guidelines, and resources.
We proactively cultivate difference through community engagement, events, committees, and consultation.
CHREI's Guiding Principles
Accessibility
We strive to ensure that all members of the community have access to its services in accordance with the most appropriate accommodations.
Accountability
The community is made aware of CHREI’s activities in various ways including the publication of an Annual Report. This will ensure accountability to the community and will enable CHREI to report on trends, issues, and practices as well as recommendations (s) for changes.
Alignment
York University values include the pursuit of excellence in service provision, a commitment to progressive and innovative approaches to problem-solving, the embrace of diversity and inclusion, adherence to principles of social justice and equity, and a concern for environmental, social, and fiscal sustainability. The work of CHREI constantly seeks to advance these values in alignment with the university's vision and mission.
Confidentiality
We keep all information about parties to disputes and all information disclosed with the expectation of privacy, confidential except as required to be disclosed according to university policies and procedures or as provided by law.
Impartiality
The CHREI's independence and impartiality are critical to the sense of fairness and unbiased integrity with which it must conduct its work. Its location within the institutional organization reflects this structural autonomy.
Procedural Fairness
We uphold and value standards of fairness in the procedures that we follow in the determination of disputes, always mindful of their impact on the interests and well-being of community members. Complainants' right to pursue complaints must be balanced with the respondents' right to be heard in an impartial and open process. Procedural fairness includes the opportunity to respond, the right to receive notice of procedural steps, and the right to receive reasons for decisions reached.
"You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform
the world. And you have to do it all the time. The process of empowerment
cannot be simplistically defined in accordance with our own particular
class interests. We must learn to lift as we climb."
Angela Davis
Get involved
The Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (CHREI) encourages the York community to be engaged in human rights, equity, and inclusion-related activities.
Join a Committee
The Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (CHREI) consults and guides the university community on best practices to instill Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion in all facets of York’s operations and governance.
Student Placements & Internships
We accept students who seek professional experience and demonstrate a keen interest in human rights, equity, and inclusion. We have ongoing partnerships with the Department of Communications & Media Studies, Osgoode Hall Law School, The School of Social Work and the Department of Equity Studies.