Florida and Texas have been at the forefront of a movement to limit funding for DEI initiatives in higher education. In 2020, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a bill that would prohibit state universities from using public funds for "university-wide or college-wide curricula, programming, or initiatives that promote or encourage open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and intellectual freedom, but which are not objective and/or balanced." This language of the proposal is broad, and the potential scope of what efforts and programs will be affected remains to be determined. Still, DEI initiatives at state-funded institutions are likely to see higher levels of scrutiny of DEI programming across campus including international and global learning offices.
In May 2021, the Texas legislature passed bill HB3979 restricting the teaching of critical race theory - which broadly includes material discussing race, identity, and other related topics - in public schools and universities. HB 999 filed this year in Florida, seeks to “leave all faculty hiring to boards of trustees…and remove majors or minors in subjects like critical race theory and gender studies. It would also prohibit spending on activities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion and create new general education requirements.” Publicly funded institutions in these states have been the first to feel the immediate impact of these initiatives. However, even with legal challenges underway aimed at blocking the implementation of such legislation, other states are likely to follow.
Impact on International Education
While these initiatives do not explicitly target international student services, education abroad, or global learning programs, the language used to write many of these policies have the potential to impact departments that oversee student services, staff hiring and training programs, and faculty development - including global programs and international education offices. Efforts to hire more diverse staff, train faculty to integrate more inclusive curriculum into their global learning, and orient international students to U.S. conceptions of identity (e.g., race, sexual orientation, class) have the potential to fall under the broad definition of DEI programming. As students of color, low-income, and other marginalized groups remain underrepresented in education abroad, any curtailing of efforts to would limit international student’s understanding of marginalized student populations in the United States could impact needed engagement and mutual understanding between domestic international students.
With international and global offices still striving to return to pre-pandemic funding and staffing levels, fewer resources would exacerbate existing challenges for underrepresented students. Global education can be a high impact practice and any reduction in DEI related support and services can reduce the impact global learning has on inclusive student success.
Impact on Campus Climate
Legislation aimed at restricting DEI programing will also impact campus climate. DEI programs and initiatives are critical to fostering a more inclusive environment and promoting understanding and empathy among students and faculty members. Without these programs, institutions may struggle to attract and retain a diverse student body and staff/faculty. Less inclusive campus climates have been shown to negatively affect student retention and success as well as retention of faculty of color, which will have a downstream effect not only on efforts to diversify education abroad participants but also on international students’ sense of belonging on campus.
Removing funding for DEI efforts is also likely to lead to reduced resources and support for marginalized and minoritized student populations. This can perpetuate existing inequalities in access to global learning opportunities and limit opportunities for minoritized and international students to thrive on campus. Importantly, it sends a message that DEI is not a priority, which can harm the overall climate and culture of the institution.
DEI initiatives are critical to promoting a more inclusive and equitable environment in international education, and removing support for such programming could have long-term effects on all campus global activities. Diversity Abroad will continue to monitor developments in these areas and keep the international education community abreast of actions that can be taken to ensure critical education and programming around DEI remains central to the field's work.
On Thursday, April 13 Diversity Abroad will be convening a town hall meeting to discuss the short-term and longer-term implications for such policies and their implementation. Join us to discuss these issues and share your concerns and experiences with the Diversity Abroad community.