UCP sets its sights on DEI, PSIs likely to be collateral damage

The United Conservative Party’s (UCP) 2024 annual general meeting (AGM) had me scratching my head at many things. But one that just kept coming up was the apparently evil concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). And while the UCP takes aim at DEI, post-secondary institutions (PSI) are likely to get caught in the crossfire.

It first came up on November 2 in the “Accountability Session” with Premier Danielle Smith. Smith along with Mike Ellis, deputy premier and minister of public safety, and Joseph Schow, minister of tourism and sport, went through past AGM policy resolutions. Smith spent much of the time reassuring members that she is working hard on their demands.

The sixth policy resolution from 2023 was to stop PSIs from using race as a factor in admissions. The ninth called for the elimination of DEI in PSIs, and that the province revoke funding from those with a DEI office.

Smith fed right into the sentiment, saying “we don’t want people to be indoctrinated.” She went on to say that the Government of Canada is leading it, which Bill 18 will create transparency around. Essentially, Bill 18 would allow the provincial government to block funding it deems too steeped in DEI for its liking. That funding is vital to universities, and not only for research. Undercutting federal funding would upset the entire budget for many PSIs. And that’d likely mean putting more of a financial burden on students with tuition increases. 

People initially had concerns that the UCP would use Bill 18 to block or allow funding based on ideology. It seems like Smith is just confirming that. Now the question is how far will this go? Does it stop at research grants or could it extend to scholarships? Student financial aid? What PSIs teach? 

DEI was the focus of multiple of this AGM’s policy resolutions. The very first policy that members debated was whether or not to eliminate DEI programs and training. More specifically, whether or not to end the use of public funds for DEI.  One person — rather fruitlessly — tried to explain that DEI isn’t in fact a horrible concept driving discrimination. Rather, it works to acknowledge and combat systemic inequities. The crowd booed her.

Does that include student financial aid or government scholarships based on need rather than grades? While many of the UCP members seem unaware of this, DEI isn’t only about race. It extends to other inequities, like financial ones. Giving students loans or scholarships because they don’t have that money themselves makes post-secondary education more inclusive and equitable. But apparently that’s what the UCP base wants to get rid of.

The policy resolutions and debates consistently framed DEI initiatives as discriminatory and unfair, seemingly to non-minority folks. These conversations not only showcased a complete misunderstanding of DEI, but also a concerning desire to interfere with PSIs. Especially when it comes to the funding they receive.

The rationale behind the UCP’s policy resolution 31 is that the “merits of an individual are either ignored or not taken into account in favour of the model of [DEI].” It also states that “the concept of [DEI] is racist in nature.” All these resolutions passed with an overwhelming majority.

There’s no guarantee that the policy resolutions will become actual legislation. But, it’s where many of the current legislative session’s bills seem to have come from. Last year’s policy resolutions outlined many of the amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights and policies around transgender folks.

If Smith is truly committed to being accountable to her base — she seemed intent on proving she would be — the University of Alberta might be facing more than just Bill 18. And it’s difficult to predict how far Smith and the UCP would go on their quest to defeat DEI.

Could it impact courses or entire departments? Like the U of A’s department of women and gender studies, which focuses on social inequities. Or, as the resolution from 2023 suggests, the U of A’s DEI office. These shouldn’t even be questions we have to ask. Yet, here we are.

The push against DEI and Smith’s receptiveness to it raises a lot of alarm bells. PSIs in Alberta are already facing issues due to lack of funding and students are bearing the brunt of that. Seeking to punish PSIs for having DEI programs or stop funding things that make education more equitable only hurts students.