Josef Spence – Contributor

As the BU administration announces the opening of affinity spaces on campus, there is a growing concern in the academic sphere that the application of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programs has an adverse impact on academia. The rising number of reports, statements and actions from academic institutions tell of a movement that is skeptical, if not fully opposed, to EDI as a set of exceptional principles applied in academic contexts. Meanwhile, new spaces reserved for use by specific groups within the Bishop’s community opened on Sept. 24, telling a different story here at BU.

On Sept. 15, 2025, Dr. Steven Pinker, a professor and researcher at Harvard University who many esteem to be one of the most renowned Canadian academics, testified before the Standing Committee on Science and Research of the House of Commons. He argued that programs allocating funding, academic employment, or educational opportunities to people based on characteristics, like race and sex, “work against the interest of science and the nation” and “undermine public trust in science.” He added that “viewpoint diversity is the kind of diversity that really matters in scientific and intellectual life.”

Other recent criticism aimed at universities in Canada aligns with Pinker’s comments. Public policy think tanks like the Aristotle Foundation and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute outlined in reports that selective hiring and grant reward processes, adopted internally by universities and applied by the federal government, have produced less rigorous academics and decreased research excellence in Canada.

Such concerns over the impact of prioritizing EDI in academia have even led some academic institutions to drop their EDI programs. Most prominently, the University of Alberta changed the name and mission of its EDI department in Jan. 2025 to one that prioritized access, community and belonging. In an op-ed published in the Edmonton Journal, the university explained the decision as a way to better foster “curiosity, rigorous inquiry and the search for the truth.”

Amid this questioning of the application of EDI to academia, Danai Bélanger, BU vice-principal of Student Affairs and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, announced in an email to students on Sept. 22 that affinity spaces would open on campus on Sept. 24. Bélanger identified three affinity spaces in the email: one for infant care, one reserved for the “Black students, staff, and faculty to connect, share experiences, and build community,” and one to act as “a safe and affirming environment for students, staff and faculty who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.”

Those seeking to gain access to these spaces need to complete the appropriate form linked in the email to obtain key-card permissions on their university identification cards. Bélanger also noted in the email that this is part of the effort by Bishop’s to create an inclusive campus in line with the Scarborough Carter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion. 

In response to a question, she commented that “Bishop’s approaches EDI both structurally and culturally,” and commits to supporting EDI in whatever way possible. Bèlanger added that a focus on EDI helps to make students more comfortable in the community and strengthens academic excellence overall.

While some praise Bishop’s for applying EDI principles more strongly, a rising number of voices in academia, including renowned scholars, remain skeptical of the inclusion of EDI principles in academic matters. It is certain that Bishop’s students clearly appreciate these safe spaces.