Equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canadian colleges: examining definitions and unveiling perceptions

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) through strategic policy development has been at the forefront of institutional change, especially within the higher education sector. Canadian colleges have a large equity-seeking student population due to their open admission structure, but despite this, there are implicit biases and actions that impede students' learning experience. Limited literature exists around how Canadian colleges have approached EDI policy development; thus, this paper initiates the unpacking of the evident policy – practice disconnect by asking: 'How do colleges understand equity, diversity, and inclusion as articulated in policy documents?' To address this, the study employs Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) as its main research method to deconstruct the narratives found within purposefully sampled documents including: 1) EDI policies and procedure; 2) institutional multi-year strategic plans; and 3) EDI-based plans and performance reports. Results indicate that colleges tend to be selective in their usage of EDI definitions. There is also a tendency to use ambiguous language around EDI, which makes it difficult to mobilise knowledge effectively and approach equity directly. Policies often fail to address the privileges held by certain positionalities, reinforcing existing power structures rather than challenging them. The significance of this research is in its contribution to enhancing a theoretical understanding of how knowledge supports policy, as well as informing the future development of constructive EDI policies in higher educational institutions.