The State of DEI in Higher Education

These days, bipartisanship seems rare and the United States is currently as polarized as I can remember. Many citizens are split over views on immigration, taxes, foreign policy, and a plethora of other topics that are extremely important in this upcoming 2024 election where Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be battling to secure their spot as chief of state. One topic that the country is very divided over at this time is diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, or DEI initiatives, in higher education.

Currently, I’m in my senior year at a university in Texas and I’ve witnessed the attack on DEI initiatives over these recent years. Lawmakers in Texas passed Senate Bill 17 which bans DEI offices, programs, and training in public universities in Texas. It was surreal to see the University of Texas at Austin, one of the more prominent universities in the nation with a diverse student body, be forced to shut down their DEI office and programs which many lawmakers thought was ‘indoctrinating’ students. I know students at UT Austin and they’ve shared the impact these offices and programs have had on students and how enraged they were when these offices and programs were swiftly closed with their employees being let go.

This year, I’m working in an office at my university which looks to promote positive social change and inclusivity. If this office were in the UT system, it would likely be targeted by Senate Bill 17. The events and training this office promotes help students become more educated about social issues and how they can make a positive change as well as create a stronger and more tight-knit community. This year, I will be working as an Inclusion Leader with my specific role being the Director of Redefining Me(n), an organization created by my boss. My role entails changing narratives on what masculinity means through holding meetings and events, as well as using social media, and helping organizations on campus and others in my office with their initiatives. Being able to redefine masculinity, sit down with individuals to have meaningful conversations about gender, and help create positive social change with my peers is one of my dream positions and I feel very fortunate I was chosen for this role.

The office that I’ll be working at this year means a lot to many of my peers and I believe that our experience as students would not be the same without it. The office helps create a community where students feel like they belong and have a voice on campus which is vital. Though we are a private institution, I fear what will happen to the office as another Trump presidency could have devastating impacts on DEI offices and programs across the nation. The UT system has already been forced to shut down twenty-one DEI offices and hundreds of employees have been let go. Both Donald Trump and JD Vance are very openly against DEI initiatives and I fear that if they are elected, our university may lose federal funding if we do not comply with their policies regarding DEI. Part of Trump’s proposed policies as President, known as Agenda47, is ending DEI programs in schools. In addition, as a Senator, JD Vance introduced the Dismantle DEI Act which looks to end federal DEI programs and prohibit things such as awarding federal contracts to entities that have DEI initiatives.

I believe that the attack on DEI is pushing our nation backward, as well as polarizing it, and critics of DEI use the tactic of fearmongering to garner support. Baseless claims are often used to scare parents that their children are being indoctrinated and ostracized when in reality, DEI initiatives in schools strive to create an inclusive space where all students feel like they belong. My hope is that individuals realize that the narrative about DEI initiatives pushed by people such as Donald Trump and JD Vance is false and a tactic used to divide citizens. I know the positive impact these initiatives have on college campuses and I fear that the attack on them will grow if Trump wins the presidency. I’ve been fortunate enough to have an office that promotes inclusivity on campus and my hope is that as many other college students as possible are able to experience this too.