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Designated Equity Seats for First Nations, Inuit, and M茅tis Applicants in Graduate Programs

Principles

The University of Victoria’s School of Nursing is committed to developing, adopting, and enshrining policies and processes to address inequities and foster reconciliation, as identified in the Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for an increase in the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health-care field (Call to Action 23-1). In response, the School has adopted a policy of “Equity Seats” designated for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants across all its graduate programs.

This initiative also aligns with the principles outlined in the 2023 University of Victoria Indigenous Strategic Plan, which prioritizes inclusion and belonging while reflecting the needs of students and the diverse ways people come to the university.

Number of Designated Equity Seats

To contribute to the achievement of these goals, 10% of seats across each of our graduate programs will be designated as equity seats. The exact number of equity seats will be calculated by rounding up 10% of the total number of seats oXered.

The only exception to this policy is the MN Indigenous Wellness stream, which admits only applicants who are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis.

Processes

The admission requirements and evaluation criteria used in assessing the applications of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants are noted in the program description and are the same for all applicants to our graduate programs. However, according to the “Designated Equity Seats” policy, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants will be assessed in a separate pool.

  • If the number of qualified applicants for designated equity seats is smaller than or equal to the number of designated seats, all those applicants will be oXered a seat, and any remaining seats will be reallocated to the general pool.
  • If there are more qualified First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants than there are designated equity seats, the available seats will be allocated based on two criteria:
    1. In alignment with the University of Victoria’s Indigenous Strategic Plan, applicants from local nations will be given priority.
    2. Priority will then be given to the strongest applicants from the pool.

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants who are not admitted as part of the designated equity seats will then be considered for admission alongside all other applicants.

Application Requirements

Applicants who wish to apply for the designated equity seats must provide the following:

  1. A statement describing their connection to a First Nations, Inuit, or Métis community; and
  2. A letter, sent directly to the School of Nursing by a reference person, attesting to and describing the applicant’s connection to their community.

The submitted documentation will be reviewed by an ad hoc committee of the School, which is responsible for making decisions regarding the admissibility of applicants for designated equity seats.

Policy adopted at Council on December 4, 2024