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In Ontario’s post-secondary education system, transitional and bridging programs are often framed as solutions to access and retention gaps for historically marginalized populations. This dissertation investigates the experiences of racialized students enrolled in these programs, with the goal of understanding whether such initiatives genuinely address structural inequities in higher education or merely serve as compensatory pathways. Drawing on eight in-depth interviews with racialized students, survey data from 42 participants, and an analysis of relevant institutional and provincial policies, the research critically engages with how racialized students navigate these programs post-admission.
Guided by an anti-colonial theoretical framework and a mixed-methods research design, this study situates transitional and bridging programs within broader discourses of equity, access, and institutional reform. Findings indicate that while these programs may ease entry into higher education, their effectiveness is frequently limited by institutional constraints, racialized pedagogical assumptions, and the lack of systemic accountability. Narratives from participants reveal the persistence of exclusionary practices and racialized expectations that continue well beyond the transition period.
This study argues that unless these programs are embedded within institution-wide commitments to anti-racism, they risk reinforcing rather than dismantling existing hierarchies. Recommendations are offered to reimagine transitional and bridging programs as transformative equity-oriented interventions rooted in systemic change, rather than short-term solutions to systemic problems.