Ontario Universities' In/equity Policies: Critically Analyzing the Discourse in Mission Statements and Strategic Mandate Agreements

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: International Perspectives on Access

Abstract

Ontario has a history of assimilation through education. Increasing access to postsecondary education for underrepresented groups has been a government interest in Ontario for the past decade. This study investigates whether and how these efforts are reflected in university mission statements, and strategic mandate agreements which indicate how and why the institutions are differentiated. Critical discourse analysis found that both documents allocate power to some applicant groups over others, often recreating assimilatory discourse. The documents distinguished among applicants from certain geographic areas, with specific interpersonal traits, who belong to certain under-represented groups and who would belong in the university community above others. Implications for institutions, as they create public statements are discussed in terms of access, and undesirable institutional change.

Authors

• Fatima Samji, University of Toronto

• Ruth A. Childs, University of Toronto - OISE