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 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 equity strategy is grounded in decolonizing, equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEDI), ensuring everyone is treated fairly, equitably, and with respect. Inclusion requires supportive structures where diverse perspectives are heard. A comprehensive DEDI strategy addresses intersecting forms of oppression. York fosters inclusive, collaborative ecosystems supporting individual and collective flourishing, requiring ongoing organizational change across teaching, learning, research, leadership, and campus climate.
