Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.
It is sickening to think that an alternate universe without diversity, equity and inclusion policies on Colorado State University’s campus is an entirely plausible one. Despite student protests, petitions and stale reassurances from university administration, we are already regressing into a campus culture completely rid of any diversity, equity or inclusion.
I think that a lot of people — especially those who are not as impacted by the DEI bans or those who partially support them — do not realize the scope of DEI. They do not realize all of the programs, facilities, scholarships, clubs, organizations and, essentially, livelihoods at stake and what our campus would look like without any DEI implementation.
The harsh truth is that a campus without DEI would not look or feel like a campus at all. Higher educational institutions, especially public colleges, have long been hailed as diverse for their diversity of opinions.
If you think about it, there will be very few other times in your life, from now until death, when you will be this closely surrounded by people from different states, different backgrounds, different religions, different interests and different career paths.
The only similarity, the only common denominator between each and every one of us, is that we’re CSU students. That’s it. Besides our university, there is no other trait that we all collectively share. Each of us in the vast pool of more than 33,000 is unique, diverse and different — in one aspect or another.
This uniqueness, these differences, used to be encouraged — celebrated even — and each difference should be worth celebrating. But the last several months have revealed they aren’t equally celebrated. While some are idolized — perhaps the differences that make you a straight, white, middle-aged, able-bodied, upper-class male — most differences are currently being federally persecuted.
These persecutions have already started on a local level. CSU has wiped multiple pronoun pages and resources from its website, along with removing web pages for undocumented students and removing the word “undocumented” from the pages that do still exist.
As horrific as these changes are, a campus fully stripped of any DEI policies would look far more dystopian. There would be no cultural resource centers to hire for, and therefore no CRCs for the students who need them. There would be limited to no scholarships for students from places with historically low incomes, for students with learning disabilities or for students who simply cannot afford to attend otherwise. There would be no free contraceptive resources for students who need them and therefore more accidental pregnancies.
There would also be a drastic hit to hiring. The academic department of race, gender and ethnic studies likely wouldn’t exist — at least, not in the same capacity. The only history taught might be an American one. Ethnic classes of every region might be predominantly staffed with white teachers.
At large, there would be less value in diverse feedback, in broad representation, in safety measures, in hiring procedures and, as a result, in properly representing all of America.
With DEI so strongly under attack, one can clearly picture this version of campus. We are left to grasp at straws as to what the reality of the future will hold, as the CSU administration’s ambiguity has not instilled anything but fear. In spite of feeling horrified, CSU students have continued to speak more on these policies than those who created them. It is time for administrative clarity, followed by support, followed by staunch action.
Reach Emma Souza at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @_emmasouza.
