DEIJ is essential to higher educational institutions
"Our View" is prepared by the Editorial Board and should be considered the institutional voice of The Record.
As colleges and universities all around the nation continue to progress towards reflecting the diverse country we live in, the importance of understanding and implementing diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) policies are vital more than ever.
Without DEIJ policies in higher education, institutions are at risk of continuing a system that perpetuates inequitable and exclusionary actions.
DEIJ has many variations of the acronym, from DEI to JEDI, but all of the acronyms have the same meaning with the same overarching goal.
Let’s first define what DEIJ means to better understand its importance, specifically in higher education.
CSB+SJU’s Senior Diversity Officer Sandra Mitchell defines it as:
Diversity: the presence of the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin and political beliefs. It is the lived experience with “the other” in our midst.
Equity: the state, quality or ideal of being just, impartial and fair. The concept of equity is synonymous with fairness and justice. Equity involves trying to understand and give people what they need to be successful.
Inclusion: the practice or policy of providing equal involvement, empowerment and access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minoritized groups. In an inclusive community, the dignity and worth of all members of the community are recognized.
Justice: Creating environments and systems that support all equitably without regard to race-ethnicity, gender identity, religion, learning potential or other forms of difference. These policies are not new to CSB+SJU. There are a variety of actions and initiatives that have been implemented on both campuses for a while. One DEIJ resource available to students on campus is the Student Accessibility Center (SAS). This resource accommodates students with learning, sensory, physical, health or mental health conditions/ disabilities to help those students
thrive on campus and to certify that students will be treated equitably. Other resources on campus include Preferred Name Process Policy, Bias and Hate Reporting, Non-Binary Admission Policy and Title IX. All of these resources are established for students to improve their years here at CSB+SJU and provide for students what they need to be successful in their college years.
Despite the resources available at CSB+SJU, not all colleges around the country are committing to DEIJ initiatives. On a state level, anti-DEIJ bills for public institutions have been introduced in some capacity in over 30 states and officially enacted in three. This legislation also follows the Supreme Court of the United States’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard/UNC in June of 2023, which declared the use of Affirmative Action and race-conscious decisions in college admissions unconstitutional. Some of the first uses of these processes were enacted through an executive order by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 in hiring processes for federal contractors, and the use of the concept in college admissions has been a highly contested issue ever since, culminating in the SCOTUS ruling of last year.
Affirmative action, intended to create equity at the door in admissions, can be used as a stepping stone for DEIJ initiatives to pick up the baton and continue working towards equal access to opportunities in higher education. The Supreme Court decision makes it more difficult for colleges to carry out this purpose, and continued assaults on DEIJ initiatives through state legislation can make these policies almost nonexistent on campuses.
Texas’s DEIJ ban has already begun to take effect, resulting in almost 60 layoffs from the University of Texas at Austin through the closing of a DEIJ-based office, and more to come by the end of the month in other Texas institutions.
It’s important to note that these bans apply to public institutions around the U.S. and do not currently pertain to private institutions like CSB+SJU. Minnesota also has no anti-DEIJ legislation (yet). Despite the many voices calling for the end of DEIJ policies, we consider the benefits of these programs at CSB+SJU to be a compelling counterargument for maintaining the work they have accomplished on our campuses and in institutions around the country.
Because of how important these programs can be for the people that need them, we believe removing the opportunity for meaningful discourse about DEIJ through a strict legislative ban is a mistake. DEIJ policies provide opportunities for students to have their needs met in an equitable way. Not only are these policies applicable to the CSB+SJU campuses, but it better prepares you to advocate for yourself in the post-graduate world and helps you know your worth and what you need to succeed. Both student Senates at CSB+SJU have positions that focus on DEIJ principles and bringing student perspectives to the administrative side of these policies. We encourage Bennies and Johnnies to take advantage of the programs available to them as part of
DEIJ initiatives on campus, because college students in certain states around the country are not offered the same opportunity. Advocate for yourself and act to further diversity, equity, inclusion and justice not only in your time here at CSB+SJU but also as you move forward in your personal lives and careers.