MCMASTER UNIVERSITY
A message from the Provost and Vice-Provost, Equity and Inclusion on the release of McMaster's EDIA Strategic Plan

Dear members of the McMaster community,

We are pleased to introduce McMaster's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Strategic Plan 2026-2028: Inclusive Excellence in Action, a renewed commitment and roadmap for advancing inclusive excellence across our university.

The strategy reflects our shared responsibility to create conditions where every member of our community can learn, teach, work, contribute and flourish. Inclusive excellence recognizes that academic excellence is strengthened when diverse perspectives, experiences and talents are fully included.

We sincerely thank the students, staff, faculty, leaders and community members who shared their time, experiences and perspectives to help shape this strategy.

Through consultations, conversations and thoughtful feedback, hundreds of people across McMaster and beyond helped inform its priorities and actions. We are grateful for the openness and thoughtfulness they brought to the process. Their contributions strengthened the strategy and helped us recognize both the progress we have made and the work that remains.

The strategy is also informed by EDIA plans developed by each of our six Faculties. Together, the institutional and Faculty plans provide a foundation for coordinated action while recognizing the distinct experiences, priorities and opportunities within different academic communities.

The EDIA strategy also aligns closely with Bolder Together, McMaster's new strategic plan, which identifies Inclusive Communities Where All Can Flourish as one of four core priorities. It also builds on the progress made since McMaster's inaugural EDI Strategic Plan (2019-2022), including strengthened EDIA leadership and capacity, expanded inclusive teaching and research, accessibility initiatives, and enhanced recruitment, student success and community engagement.

Over the next three years, we will focus on embedding EDIA into leadership, policies and decision-making; advancing accessible and inclusive teaching and research; fostering respectful dialogue and belonging; strengthening equitable recruitment and retention; and using data to support accountability and continuous improvement.

This strategy gives us a shared direction, but its success will depend on how we put these commitments into practice. We look forward to continuing this work with communities across McMaster and building on the ideas and experiences that helped shape it. Together, we can continue building a university where everyone can belong, thrive and flourish.