Equity in Action

Equity in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies (SKHS) is achieved by proactively taking collective responsibility for fostering safety, diversity, accessibility, inclusion and anti-racism in our teaching, research and practice. 

Our programs in Kinesiology and Health Studies are highly interdisciplinary and center issues related to social justice in the contexts of health, sport and physical activity. The SKHS strives to put the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) at the heart of our activities to promote well-being for all. Historic and persistent injustices adversely and systematically impact the health and well-being of marginalized groups; seeking justice to eliminate inequities requires dedicated and ongoing effort to recognize the inequities, identify and change the multiple processes and pathways that reproduce them, and re-distribute power.

Each of us has different responsibilities in working towards justice. SKHS recognizes that equity-deserving groups have disproportionately undertaken often invisible work for institutional change and that this must change. Understanding that each of us is differentially located within systems of power, we challenge each other to learn about and recognize our privileges and to integrate EDII considerations into all aspects of our work. 

We seek to centre diverse traditions and perspectives in the development of a thriving, inclusive intellectual community that builds on distinct and potentially difficult knowledges, skills, and experiences. Following broader university commitments, we seek to incorporate anti-colonial and anti-racist knowledges into our curriculum, practice targeted recruitment of historically excluded peoples for education and employment, and conduct socially accountable research.