York University’s Board of Governors is lacking in diversity even though the university is not, according to Emile Wickham, the undergraduate representative on the board.
Wickham told York’s student newspaper Excalibur that there are only two black males on the board, including himself, while the majority of the board is made up of white males.
“The racial composition of the board tends to be one dominant group,” he told Excalibur.
Harriet Lewis, university secretary and general counsel at York, declined to comment on Wickham’s remarks, but called York “perhaps the most diverse university in Canada.”
“Given the length of term and the changing lives of governors, the needs of the Board to keep a balance of competencies etc., the number of persons who are members of visible minorities on the Board varies from time to time,” she said via email.
Board protocol states that “as much as possible, the membership of the Board of Governors should reflect the community in which York is situated, and the communities in which it participates,” according to Lewis.
“The Board appointments process tries to keep a balance on the board with various competencies, always keeping the issue of diversity in mind,” she said.
Lewis said the board is self-appointing, with all internal members “nominated by election under established processes” and there are no appointments by church, government, or municipality. The board currently consists of 32 members, including one elected by undergraduate students and another elected by graduate students, according to Excalibur.
Maddy Porter, an undergraduate representative on Carleton University’s Board of Governors, said she felt the board adequately represented the diverse nature of the Carleton community.
“Carleton is a diverse institution and this is reflected in the composition of a number of our political bodies,” Porter said. “Diversity within all of our institutions both at Carleton and outside of Carleton is important and should be encouraged by us all.”
