Michelle Hoover’s Post

"Offices and centers that serve women, students with disabilities, veterans, students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, low-income and first generation college goers, and returning adult learners are in DEI portfolios at some institutions, but not everywhere." DEI is valuable for so many different groups of individuals. Hopefully this document will serve to counter the vast overload of misinformation regarding DEI and the role DEI serves on college campuses.

Going to SxSW.edu in March? If so, I hope you'll attend my conversation with Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D., Mushtaq Gunja, and Shaun Harper from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. CT, Austin Convention Center, Room 8ABC. We'll discuss How Colleges Can Overcome Anti-Diversity Headwinds. A Descripition: SCOTUS zapped race-based admissions, activists are targeting race-based scholarships, and legislators are banning administrative positions in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet most colleges remain committed to serving a wide range of students, including members of underrepresented minorities, low-income households, and first-generation college families. In this session, leading national experts will examine what colleges can and should do to remain true to their ideals within the confines of the law. You can add it to your schedule here: https://lnkd.in/eMcd6vXr

HERE WE GO: UNC-Chapel Hill dissolves entire Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs: Redirects all funds to campus security The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees unanimously approved reallocating $2.3 million from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs to public safety in response to recent campus protests. This decision comes as the UNC Board of Governors considers a broader policy change affecting DEI initiatives across state universities. ***************** Why Redirecting DEI Funds to Security is Problematic ************** ✅ Undermines Inclusion #DEI initiatives are vital for fostering an inclusive campus. Cutting these funds weakens support for marginalized groups. UNC has proven its true commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. ✅ Reactive Approach Focusing on redirecting funding towards security addresses symptoms, not the root causes of campus unrest. ✅Negative Message ✔️Prioritizing security over DEI suggests these goals are mutually exclusive. → A strong DEI program enhances overall campus safety. ✅ Concerning Precedent → This decision could lead other universities to devalue DEI efforts, hindering progress in higher education. Investing in DEI fosters a stronger, more inclusive community. Security is essential, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of systemic change and equity. What do you think about this move❓ #DEI #studyabroad

During our panel discussion about the SCOTUS decision on affirmative action in #highereducation, graduate student Monte Thomas shares some thoughts on 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 on campus. Watch the full panel here: https://ow.ly/jivw50PFYXE

Posted @withregram • @yourrightscamp Land-grant, historically Black colleges and universities have been deprived of over $13 billion in funds over the last thirty years, as per recent communications from the Biden administration to 16 state governors, urging increased investment in these institutions. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack addressed letters to the governors of 16 states, highlighting the shortfall in funding based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The inadequacy in financial support, as emphasized by Cardona and Vilsack, could have significantly benefited infrastructure, student services, and enhanced the universities' competitiveness in research grant acquisition. Underfunding hinders these HBCUs from adequately serving students, their respective states, and the nation as a whole. The referenced educational institutions were established under the Morrill Acts, which allocated land for the creation of public colleges and universities. Subsequent discrimination against Black students led to the 1890 Morrill Act, mandating equal consideration for Black students or the establishment of separate land-grant schools. These included prominent institutions like Alabama A&M University, Florida A&M University, Southern University and A&M College and North Carolina A&T State University, among others. Disparities in funding between majority-Black and majority-white land-grant institutions in states like #Florida, #Louisiana, #Tennessee, #Texas, and #NorthCarolina ranged from $1 to $2 billion. Cardona and Vilsack acknowledged the longstanding nature of this problem and expressed a desire to collaborate with states to address this issue, aiming to prevent the need for costly litigation. Inequities in funding and resources within the education system are part of a broader issue of systemic inequities within the United States. These disparities in education funding are often a reflection of deeper historical and structural inequalities that exist in American society. Give us your thoughts in the comments. #HBCU Link: https://ow.ly/Aw8950Q4bhq

Did you know that Mississippi State Senator John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, introduced SB 2726, which proposes the closure of three state-funded universities. The bill introduced into the Mississippi Senate, calling for the closure of three state-funded universities by June 30, 2028, has serious implications for the future of Higher Education among the American Descendants of Slaves (ADOS). Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have played a crucial role in providing accessible and quality education to ADOS students. The closure of HBCUs would not only limit access to higher education for ADOS but also erode a cornerstone of cultural and historical significance within the community. This is a call to action for anyone who has attended an HBCU. It is important that the ADOS community, as well as supporters of HBCUs, contact their state legislators in Mississippi to express their concerns and advocate for the preservation of these institutions. A coordinated effort to reach out to lawmakers, through calls, emails, and letters, is necessary to ensure that the voices of those impacted by the potential closures are heard. The institutions at risk of closure due to this bill are: * Alcorn State University * Delta State University * Jackson State University * Mississippi State University * Mississippi University for Women * Mississippi Valley State University * The University of Mississippi * The University of Southern Mississippi - Mississippi Valley State University * District: 28 * County: Bolivar, Humphreys * Federal Representative: Bennie Thompson * State Representative: Karl Gibbs * State Senator: David Jordan * Zip Code: 38941 #civicengagement #policychange

We're proud to be collaborators on this project to measure and evaluate the impact of the Partnership for College Completion's support of institutions to drive systemic change across Illinois during the next several years. #equityineducation #organizationalchange

Don't tell me this is not targeting. This is a maneuver to respond to the protest and demands for equality after 2020. This is the rise of hateful politicians in power to abuse and misuse their roles. This party is the same party associated with the seize on our capitol. THEY, all of them, should be stripped of their power. Banned from office. This is not America, but the beginnings of a dictatorship behavior. America is governed by the people for the people NOT certain people. It's unconstitutional. THIS. IS. CORRUPTION. A grave example of why we should have a separation between politics and education. Education welcomes ALL, not manipulates all for political advantage. Btw, research the 10th Amendment, which basically said if the law hasn't been defined by federal or state, then THE PEOPLE have the power.

On top of SCOTUS' recent ruling on Affirmative Action, recent studies show that only 22.6% of Black Americans have a college degree, which is significantly less than the national rate of almost 33%. How can higher ed leaders ensure Black and other minority students receive an education? The California State University (CSU) system has been instilling change to promote diversification across all 23 campuses through data-informed action plans that were informed by critical outreach efforts. Colleges and universities can use CSU's actions as a blueprint to help support minorities in their communities and beyond. Learn more by listening to "SCOTUS, Affirmative Action, and the Future of University Diversity: Changing Higher Ed Podcast 174" with CSU Dominguez Hills' president and the CSU system's deputy vice chancellor of academic and student affairs 👉 https://bit.ly/che-174 #AffirmativeAction #HigherEducation #AffirmativeActionResponsibilities

White supremacists have always held positions of power, wealth and influence in America from its founding to the present day. Pretending otherwise is detrimental to the progress of Black Americans and other nonwhite populations. The reason why HBCUs were necessary in the first place is due to the ideology of racial hierarchy (valuing and devaluing humans by the mythological construct of race) and white supremacy that permeated every sector of society and was ingrained in the educational framework and systems across the nation. From the establishment of Harvard university to the establishment of public schools, white supremacy is the fulcrum upon which funding, curriculum, teacher salaries, quality of education for students, et al are all balanced. The defense of white supremacy is at work in creating laws, systems, public policies and private sector practices across America. White supremacists have been emboldened over the past decade to be more direct, hostile and in our faces. And they have champions in positions of power, wealth and influence across the country. How will those of us struggling to build a more equitable and Inclusive America respond?