Dalhousie U: minorities can't beat whites
Dalhousie University does not believe visible minorities are as capable as whites.
The university, Watters explained, has begun the process of hiring a new Vice-Provost Student Affairs. In order to ensure they hired a "racially visible" or "Aboriginal" person – they would not be accepting applications from anyone else, i.e. no white, non-indigenous candidates need apply. This is an unusual position to take, let alone to make public.
"In keeping with the principles of our Employment Equity Policy, and with an aim to increase the representation of underrepresented groups at Dalhousie, this search for a new Vice-Provost Student Affairs will be restricted to racially visible persons and Aboriginal peoples at this time."
– Carolyn Watters, Dalhousie University Provost and Vice-President Academic
There are lots of highly-skilled, eminently qualified and unquestionably capable candidates who hail from minority communities. Dalhousie, apparently, doesn't think so.
The university's statement makes pretty clear it does not believe a minority candidate would succeed in competition with white candidates. But, hey – "if we eliminate the white candidates, then we can just pick the best of what's left" is the thought process that must have won the day in Halifax. That's ludicrous.
Canadians of every size, shape, gender ethnic, religious and cultural background should be outraged at Dalhousie's blatant bigotry and latent racism.
I am confident that, if Dalhousie runs an unrestricted hiring competition, they will receive dozens of resumes from exceptionally capable individuals of every background. I have no doubt some of the best candidates will be people who also just happen to be "racially visible" or "Aboriginal." Hire the best of them.
Why would one of Canada's most famous institutions of higher learning assume none of the minority candidates will be good enough to beat a white competitor?