When Arizona lawmakers started pushing bills to limit diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Montserrat Arredondo worried about what would be lost. As the new director at Arizona State University (ASU) Pastor Center for Politics and Public Service, she said Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) help students who might not have the same starting point as others.
Now, with state leaders calling DEI “indoctrination,” ASU students and staff are left wondering how this could play out on campus. Student leaders from the Black African Coalition and Undergraduate Student Government said it’s not only about politics. The students worry the changes could mean less money for clubs, fewer safe spaces and more students of color questioning if they belong.
Arredondo said DEI work has pushed schools to take a deeper look at their systems and practices. She warned that without these efforts, valuable perspectives may be lost.
“With the removal or the watering down of these systems, you lose seeing additional great candidates and the diversity that makes an institution strong,” Arredondo said.
ASU has pointed to its charter as proof that it values inclusion, but students are focusing on how political changes may affect their everyday lives.
Jayla Jackson, a third-year justice studies major and Civic Engagement Director for the Black African Coalition, said the debate is not just about state politics, but about whether students feel supported.
“If our narratives and affinity spaces are at risk, then what is left of our communities? Being a minority on your college campus can be an incredibly isolating experience…imagine balancing these questions but also having an essay due at 11:59 p.m.,” Jackson said.
Jackson said the push against DEI can make students feel like their stories and experiences are less valued. For groups like the Black African Coalition, affinity spaces are often the only place where students of color can feel heard.
Student government leaders also raised concerns about what happens to campus organizations if DEI support is scaled back.
“As a member of the Black African Coalition and Black Student Union, I think DEI arguments pose the question: do we have to care about these clubs and give them money to sustain themselves?” said Takelle Woods, who serves on Undergraduate Student Government at the Downtown Phoenix campus.
Woods said the student government has a responsibility to fill the gaps when students feel left out.
“In student government we take a look, and if we see that some students don’t feel supported, we go out of our way to make them feel supported,” Woods said.
She added that cutting DEI programs should not mean ignoring the needs of students.
“Just because DEI is being taken away doesn’t mean you give up on these organizations,” Woods said.
“You can’t really get rid of students, just because these organizations go away doesn’t mean your students are gonna go away.”
Arredondo said that while changes to DEI may present challenges, students and communities will find ways to respond.
“In the history of people of color, we’ve been pushed and challenged, but we find creative ways to adapt. That’s what moves us forward,” Arredondo said.