Only ‘racially visible,’ Indigenous candidates need apply

HALIFAX — Dalhousie University says its search for a new senior administrator will be restricted to “racially visible” and Indigenous candidates, part of its efforts to increase underrepresented groups on the Halifax campus.

In a memo to the university community, provost and vicepresident academic Carolyn Watters said the prerequisite is in line with the principles of Dalhousie’s employment-equity policy.

“We have embarked on the process of selecting a new viceprovost student affairs,” she stated in the memo last month, adding that the search “will be restricted to racially visible persons and Aboriginal Peoples at this time.”

Jasmine Walsh, Dalhousie’s assistant vice-president of human resources, said Tuesday Dalhousie has been “deliberate and proactive” in its recruitment so students will be able to see themselves reflected throughout the university’s ranks.

“This is a position where we’re looking across our senior admin ranks at Dalhousie, we note that there are representation gaps for racialized and Indigenous People, and so the decision was made to try and target our recruitment efforts to find qualified candidates who will help to increase our representation in the senior ranks,” Walsh said.

The search comes after incumbent Arig al Shaibah announced she would be leaving the university at the end of March after less than two years in the role. She became the public face of the university’s high-profile decision to consider disciplinary action against student leader Masuma Khan, who criticized “white fragility.”

The recruitment process for her successor raises questions about whether such restrictions could be a form of either tokenism or discrimination.