School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University

👋🏾 Meet Akram and Khalid!

From advancing refugee and asylum policy to improving access to health and transit systems, their journeys show how lived experience shapes meaningful policy change. Their stories remind us that effective public policy is grounded in real people, real challenges, and real impact.

At SPPA, students don’t just study policy; they prepare to shape it.

CarletonUniversity

Representation in the federal public service is tracked through official Employment Equity reports, which compare employee demographics to workforce availability.

As of March 2024, over 70 % of core public service employees belong to one or more employment-equity group. Diversity has increased over recent years, and data on senior leadership helps inform recruitment and equity initiatives.

Sources:
• Employment Equity in the Public Service of Canada 2023–24 — Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat 

Anti racism policy frameworks in Canada provide structured, evidence based approaches to identifying and removing systemic barriers that affect racialized and Indigenous communities.

Canada’s first Anti Racism Strategy (2019-2022) invested in community action and better data. The newer strategy (2024-2028) builds on this foundation and prioritizes concrete actions across economic, social, justice, and health systems.

Sources:
Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti Racism Strategy 2019-2022 - Government of Canada

Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada’s Anti Racism Strategy 2024-2028 - Government of Canada

Public policy shapes everyday life - from affordability to privacy to climate action. Knowing where this degree can take you isn’t just about careers. It’s about impact.

Which policy interests you? Comment below!

This Black History Month, we honour the trailblazers who reshaped Canadian public life.

Their legacies remind us that representation in public policy is not symbolic — it transforms institutions, expands rights, and redefines what leadership looks like in Canada.

2026 isn’t just a number; it’s the next decade of public policy leadership.

From foundational public administration to research on governance, sustainability and innovation, SPPA continues to prepare leaders ready to tackle complex societal issues.

2026IsTheNew2016

Congratulations to Joannie Tremblay-Boire on being elected to the board of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), a leading international research association in this field.