A Canadian Campus: Just an Observation

I was walking through campus the other day, and a thought popped into my head. It’s not a critical thought, just an observation. I was thinking about the faces I see in lecture halls, the ones standing at the front of the room. It seems to me, and my impression is, that the overwhelming majority of professors at most Canadian universities are white. It’s not a new thought, but this time, I actually stopped and sat with it for a minute.

And two questions came to mind.

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Question 1: Do People of Color Just Not Apply?

This is the first thing I wondered. Is it a pipeline issue? Maybe the academic path to a professorship is a long and arduous one, and maybe, for a variety of complex historical and societal reasons, it’s just not a path that’s as appealing or as accessible to people of color. Perhaps they’re pursuing other careers, or maybe the opportunities to get the necessary postgraduate degrees and research experience just aren’t as readily available. I don’t know the answer, of course, but it’s a possibility that crossed my mind.

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Question 2: Are They Not Given an Equal Opportunity?

This is a tougher question to sit with. I started thinking about the hiring process for university professors. It’s incredibly competitive, and I wonder if unconscious biases could play a role. Could it be that search committees, often composed of people who have already succeeded in the system, might unintentionally gravitate toward candidates who look and sound like them? It’s not about malice or intentional exclusion. It’s just a quiet, almost invisible, part of how institutions operate. Maybe it’s not a matter of a lack of qualified applicants, but a subtle bias in who is chosen from the pool.

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Why write a blog about this?

because:

ok but jokes apart (i added this because I just had to add this in one of my blogs HAH)

The observation isn’t about finger-pointing. It’s about curiosity and a desire for an academic landscape that fully reflects the diversity of Canada. Having professors from different backgrounds is so important. They bring different life experiences, different perspectives on research, and different approaches to teaching. They also serve as powerful role models. Seeing someone who looks like you at the front of a lecture hall can be incredibly validating and inspiring. It sends a message that this is a space where you belong, too.

So, I don’t have the answers to my questions. But it’s a thought that I keep coming back to. I hope that the conversation around this continues, not to place blame, but to create a more inclusive and representative academic environment for everyone.So, I don’t have the answers to my questions. But it’s a thought that I keep coming back to. I hope that the conversation around this continues, not to place blame, but to create a more inclusive and representative academic environment for everyone.

~m ❤