At his installation as York’s first president, Murray Ross offered a distinctly progressive vision and mandate for the university.
Reflecting this founding mandate, York is commonly—and proudly—associated with the pursuit of equity. This commitment is evident in the ideas we generate and share through research and teaching, as well as the policies, programs, and practices that guide us as an institution.
We at York must give special emphasis to the humanizing of man, freeing him from those pressures which mechanize the mind, which make for routine thinking, which divorce thinking and feeling, which permit custom to dominate intelligence, which freeze awareness of the human spirit and its possibilities. We must
seek to develop in our students a sense of values,
a capacity for judgment, a sensitivity to beauty, an awareness of the needs of others, and a willingness to accept responsibility for meeting those needs.
— Murray G. Ross
About The York Equity Timeline
The York Equity Timeline is a participatory history-telling project that invites members of the York community to reflect on our collective efforts to realize Ross’s vision of York as a “new university” committed to equity. Using milestones identified by faculty, students, staff, alumni, and retirees, the Timeline highlights key events and initiatives that have advanced equity at York.
Learn
about the origins and evolution
of different equity efforts
Respond
to particular milestones
Share
your vision for York’s next
steps toward equity
Our hope is that the Timeline reflects the diversity of the
York community, the dynamism of our University, and our
enduring commitment to promoting equity across York
and beyond.
AboutYork’s DEDI Strategy
York’s vision for an equity strategy is grounded in a commitment to decolonizing, equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEDI) and the belief that everyone should be treated fairly, equitably, and with respect and dignity. Inclusion and belonging require supportive structures and social spaces
where diverse perspectives are heard, acknowledged, and respected.
A comprehensive DEDI strategy recognizes multiple, intersecting forms
of oppression and discrimination, shaped by dynamic identities and
external contexts.
York seeks to foster decolonizing, inclusive, diverse, and collaborative ecosystems that support individual and collective flourishing. Building an equitable community is an ongoing journey, requiring sustained organizational change across teaching, learning, research, leadership, and campus climate environment.
