DEI Efforts Under Siege Across The Nation

DEI efforts in higher education have now become a thing of the past for a handful of states across the southernmost part of the country. 

At the start of this year, the Florida Board of Governors passed legislation to permanently prohibit the use of state funding towards Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in public college campuses across the state. 

The Florida Board of Governors defines DEI efforts as “any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.” 

However, DEI, as defined by those who are actual professionals on the matter, includes any policies and programs that promote the representation of different groups of individuals and seek to correct inequalities within institutions. 

The regulation impacts 28 state colleges, which will no longer be able to ‘promote’ any DEI content or material on their campuses. 

In a statement released by the Florida Board of Education after the decision, the Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. said, “Higher education must return to its essential foundations of academic integrity and the pursuit of knowledge instead of being corrupted by destructive ideologies. These actions today ensure that we will not spend taxpayers’ money supporting DEI and radical indoctrination that promotes division in our society.”

Many wondered what this legislation passage would mean for campuses once fully enacted, though they didn’t have to wait long. In early March, the University of Florida went a step further and eliminated all DEI-associated positions within their institution. 

This layoff impacted 13 full-time positions, 15 administrative appointments for other faculty members, and thousands of University of Florida students who relied on DEI efforts for safety and security throughout their educational journeys. 

While Florida is the state that has most recently passed legislation targeting DEI efforts, they are not the only. Bills in Utah, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Texas have also seen DEI initiatives abolished on public campuses, leaving many students feeling alienated and many professors powerless. 

Elmhurst University’s Vice President of Equity and Inclusion Bruce King says he’s grieving the state of DEI in upper education. 

“I don’t know why the fight for equity and inclusion, that everybody should have access to resources that help them be successful and that everyone feels a sense of belonging and inclusion wherever they are, I don’t know how that can be political,” King said. 

King continued, “Somehow now that has been weaponized as something that must be eliminated. People being equal, the concept and the work towards that is now under attack, and it’s kind of mind-blowing in some ways.”

However, King thinks “this too shall pass” when reflecting on the politicized concerns around DEI efforts. 

“I’m not of the mind that this has the sustainability, it’s just rooted in the moment,” King said. 

That isn’t to say, he emphasizes, that we should sit back and do nothing. 

“I do believe that a lot of the advancements that we’ve made in DEI and equality in general cannot be taken for granted,” King said. “I don’t think this is a time to rest on our laurels. But it is a time to be very mindful and strategic about protecting the laws we already have, and the ones we need to put into place.”

Here at EU, DEI efforts are still going strong, with King emphasizing that the work doesn’t just rest with those in the upper echelon of power. 

“These issues won’t be resolved by the loudest voices, but they will be at the ballot box,” King said.