ACTION NEEDED TO CLOSE THE LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY GAP IN CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES
Edmonton, 27 April 2017
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau maintains that “diversity is Canada’s strength” and that, as a recent report highlights, it engenders many “diversity dividends”. Diverse leadership teams across sectors are known for better use of talent, smarter decision-making, greater creativity and innovation, and even more productivity and profitability. However, most leadership teams at various levels of Canadian universities have yet to make the case for how and why leadership diversity matters or to realize the full potential of diversity beyond hiring.
Canadian Universities - U15 Leadership Diversity by Position
This leadership diversity study examined the representational diversity of 45 presidents, provosts and vicepresidents (academic), and vice-presidents (research) in Canada’s U15 research universities. Presidents: Only 13.3% (2) U15 presidents are women. U15 presidents are overwhelmingly men, with 66.7% (10) white and 20% (3) visible minorities. White men and women constitute 80% (12) of U15 presidents. Provosts and Vice Presidents (Academic): Women constitute 40% (6) and men 60% (9) of U15 provosts and VPAs, and all are white. Vice-Presidents (Research): Of U15 VPRs 40% (6) are white women, 40.7% (7) white men, and 13.3% (2) visible minority men. Of the 45 people in these positions 89% (40) are white, 11% (5) are visible minority men, and none are visible minority women, or Indigenous women or men. In 2017, the leadership at U15 institutions does not reflect the diversity of the Canadian population or the student body. The AWA strongly urges universities, their recruitment firms, and nominations and selection committees, to close the diversity gap by removing structural barriers, addressing cultural cloning, and identifying unconscious biases that impede leadership diversity.
Canadian Universities - U15 Presidential Leadership Teams
This leadership diversity study examined 115 individuals in presidents’ cabinets and executive leadership teams in Canada’s U15 research universities. These presidential leadership teams average between 7-8 people in very senior leadership roles. The 2017 findings show stalled progress and even reversals in efforts toward achieving leadership diversity in Canadian universities. Gender equity: Overall, 37.4% (43) of individuals on U15 presidents’ teams are women and, same as 2016, all are white. Only 13.3% (2) of U15 institutions are led by women presidents. There are majority women leadership teams at 13.3% (2) and gender parity at 6.7% (1) of U15 institutions, and in 40% (6) of the institutions women hold less than 30% of leadership roles. Racial equity: Canada’s 3 largest visible minority groups are Chinese, South Asian, and Black. There are no Chinese or Black persons, and no visible minority women, among the 115 leaders. Visible minority men constitute only 6.1% (7) of leadership teams, including 3 university presidents. There are no Indigenous peoples (Métis, Inuit, First Nations) on U15 leadership teams. No U15 data are available for persons with disabilities. The AWA strongly urges universities, their recruitment firms, and nominations and selection committees, to close the diversity gap by removing structural barriers, addressing cultural cloning, and identifying unconscious biases that impede leadership diversity.
Canadian Universities - U15 Leadership Diversity Pipeline
This study of the leadership diversity pipeline in Canadian universities examined 272 individuals in senior positions in Canada’s U15 research universities. The 2017 findings suggests three decades of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives have produced little change in Canadian university leadership, which remains overwhelmingly white and primarily male. The results show stalled or uneven progress for white women, little to no progress for visible minority and Indigenous women, and no publicly available data on persons with disabilities. Chancellors: Women constitute only 26.7% (4) and men 73.7% (11) of U15 Chancellors, and all are white. Presidents: White women constitute only 13.3% (2) of U15 presidents, while white men make up 66.7% (10) and visible minority men 20% (3). Provosts and Vice-Presidents Academic: U15 VPAs are 40% (7) women and 60% men, and all are white. Vice-Presidents Research: In 2017 women are 40% of U15 VPRs, a decline from 46.7% in 2016. VPRs are 86.7% white men and women, and 13.3% visible minority men. Deans: Of the 212 U15 deans, 64.1% (136) white men, 29.2% (62) white women, 4.2% (9) visible minority men, 1.9% (4) visible minority women, and 0.5% (1) Indigenous men. The U15 deans are 93.4% white, 6.1% visible minority, and 0.5% Indigenous. In 2017, the U15 leadership pipeline does not reflect the diversity of the student body or the broader Canadian population. The AWA strongly urges universities, their recruitment firms, and nominations and selection committees, to close the diversity gap by removing structural barriers, addressing cultural cloning, and identifying unconscious biases that impede leadership diversity.
Canadian Universities - Leadership Diversity - U15 Deans
This leadership diversity study examined the demographic diversity of deans of faculties and schools at Canada’s U15 research universities. The findings suggest that in 2017 the university leadership pipeline in U15 universities remains overwhelming male (68.9%) and white (93.3%). Gender equity: Of the 212 deans at U15 universities, 29.2% (62) are white women and 1.9% (4) are visible minority women. Overall men constitute two-thirds of the U15 deans: 64.1% (136) are white men, 4.2% (9) visible minority men, and 0.5% (1) Indigenous men. Racial equity: There is little racial diversity among U15 deans. Of the U15’s 212 deans, 93.3% (198) are white, 6.1% (13) visible minorities, 0.5% (1) Indigenous. Equity at the intersections: Indigenous women and visible minority women are significantly underrepresented among U15 deans, and data are not available for persons with disabilities. Despite three decades of employment equity, diversity and inclusion policies and programs, leadership diversity in Canadian universities remains elusive. The AWA strongly urges universities, their recruitment firms, and nominations and selection committees, to close the diversity gap by removing structural barriers, addressing cultural cloning, and identifying unconscious biases that impede leadership diversity.
For further information please contact:
Dr. Malinda S. Smith
Vice Provost (Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion)
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
Past President, and Former Chair of AWA Research Committee
Email: malinda.smith@ucalgary.ca