Forty Canadian professors have penned a joint letter to the Standing Committee on Science and Research, arguing that equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) quotas are costly, unfair, and unsupported by evidence.
The Tri-Council agencies (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) have implemented several policies and initiatives to promote EDI, such as requiring EDI impact statements when applying for research grants.
“Many agree with us – including senior, tenured faculty – but will not speak publicly for fear of repercussions,” the joint-letter states.
“Specifically, they are scared even to question Tri-Council policies relating to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).”
The letter further states EDI policies disproportionately punish small institutions, employ flawed metrics, and lack a clear end goal. The professors assert that many EDI policies are discriminatory and counter-productive, with interventions shown to “do harm by increasing prejudice and activating bigotry.”
“Tri-council agencies have provided insufficient evidence that EDI improves research outcomes, and therefore cannot justify their EDI policies,” they stated.
The Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship has documented numerous cases where job postings explicitly discriminate against individuals based on immutable characteristics. Such practices, the professors argue, contradict the very principles of fairness and equality that EDI aims to promote.
Additionally, the letter criticizes the self-perpetuating nature of EDI bureaucracies, noting that “careers depend upon the continued existence and expansion of bureaucratic fiefdoms.”
Public discontent with EDI measures is also raised, citing political scientist Eric Kaufmann’s research that indicates 70% of Canadians prefer race-neutral approaches over the colour-conscious methods of EDI.
Peterson blasts Tri-Council agencies
Last year, Canadian professor Jordan Peterson resigned from the University of Toronto, slamming the mandatory DEI statements required for research grants. Peterson argued that most of his colleagues lie in these statements and teach their students to do the same, further corrupting the academic enterprise.
