Systemic Racism in Canadian Higher Education - A RapidScoping Review of 22 Years of Literature

Oct 15, 2026

Although higher education is intended to support learning and growth regardless of social identity, systemic racism continues to expose Indigenous, Black, and other racialized groups to unwelcoming academic cultures and sometimes hostility. This rapid scoping review identifies and analyzes peer-reviewed research published from 2000 to 2022 on systemic racism in Canadian higher education. Thirty-two articles are examined to map theoretical frameworks, conceptualize how racism is structured and enacted, and summarize lived experiences via thematic analysis, informing work to build healthier academic communities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Theoretical Frame

Systemic Racism in Higher Education

Systemic Racism in Canadian Higher Education: A RapidScoping Review of 22 Years of Literature Jerome Cranston University of Saskatchewan Alexandria Bennett University of Ottawa Abstract Although the ideals of higher education promote learning and personal growth irrespective of an individual’s social identity including their perceived or declared race, systemic racism continues to subject Indigenous, Black, and otherwise racialized students, staff, and faculty to unwelcoming academic cultures and, at times, hostilities. The aim of this rapid scoping review was to identify and analyze some of the available peer-reviewed, published research literature between 2000 and 2022 focused on systemic racism in the Canadian higher education context. The authors analyzed 32 articles included in the scoping review to identify the theoretical frameworks used to situate each study. In addition, the analysis surfaced concepts related to how systemic racism is structured and enacted. Using a thematic analysis, a narrative summary is also presented to describe the experiences of Indigenous and racialized staff, students, and faculty. This study offers insight to those committed to building healthier academic communities through understandings of systemic racism as it is theoretically framed, conceptualized, and experienced. Keywords: rapid scoping review, systemic racism, Canadian higher education Résumé Les idéaux de l’enseignement supérieur favorisent l’apprentissage et le développement personnel de l’individu, indépendamment de son intégration sociale et de sa race. Le racisme systémique continue toutefois de soumettre les étudiants, le personnel et les professeurs Autochtones, Noirs et autrement racialisés à des cultures universitaires peu accueillantes. L’objectif de cette rapide étude de portée était d’identifier et d’analyser les documents de recherche publiés entre 2000 et 2022 et axés sur le racisme systémique dans le contextede l’enseignement supérieur au Canada. Les auteurs ont analysé trente-deux articles afind’identifier les cadres théoriques utilisés pour situer chaque étude. De plus, l’analyse a faitressortir des concepts liés à la manière dont le racisme systémique est structuré et misen œuvre. À l’aide d’une analyse thématique, un résumé narratif est également présenté pour décrire les expériences du personnel, des étudiants et des professeurs Autochtoneset racialisés. Cette étude offre un aperçu à ceux qui s’engagent à bâtir des communautésuniversitaires plus saines grâce à une compréhension du racisme systémique tel qu’il est théoriquement encadré, conceptualisé et vécu. Mots-clés : étude de portée rapide, racisme systémique, enseignement supérieur canadien Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 54:1 (2024) INTRODUCTION Although a range of factors shapes well-being and success in higher education for Indigenous, Black, and otherwise racialized faculty and students, systemic racism—namely, institutional and societal structured allocations and denials of privilege based on the concept of race—plays an important role in generating and reinforcing inequities based on race and racialization (Bonilla-Silva, 2021) . Understanding how systemic racism is theoretically framed, conceptualized, and discursively represented as experienced can help scholars and system leaders who want to examine and assess the impact that systemic racism has within Canadian universities (Henry, Dua, James, et al., 2017). The authors hope that this rapid scoping review and thematic analysis of 22 years of published, peer-reviewed literature focused on Canadian higher education is one more step that addresses the paucity of research-informed literature on the topic of systemic racism in Canadian universities. THEORETICAL FRAME The theoretical frame of this study drew on a diverse body of critical race and race-conscious scholarship (for examples, see Bonilla-Silva, 1997, 2021; Delgado &

FAQs

What is the goal of the rapid scoping review in this study?

To identify and analyze peer-reviewed research from 2000 to 2022 focused on systemic racism in Canadian higher education, and to interpret how it is theoretically framed and experienced.

How many articles were analyzed, and what did the authors examine?

The authors analyzed 32 articles, identifying the theoretical frameworks used to situate each study and surfacing concepts about how systemic racism is structured and enacted.

What approach was used to summarize experiences of Indigenous and racialized groups?

A thematic analysis and narrative summary were used to describe the experiences of Indigenous and racialized staff, students, and faculty.

Oct 15, 2026

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