Ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education
By Katie Wong | Opinions | March 5, 2025
Following recent executive orders passed by President Donald Trump, the United States Military Academy at West Point terminated 12 cultural and professional cadet clubs for women and minorities. Some of these clubs include the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, Native American Heritage Forum, Society of Women Engineers Club, National Society of Black Engineers, and Latin Cultural Club. Along with West Point, numerous colleges, like the University of Florida and Florida State University have shut down diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and fired employees in those programs.
UF and FSU are notoriously popular choices for Stanton College Preparatory School seniors, who will feel the effects of the changes firsthand as they transition from a culturally diverse high school with active DEI programs. At Stanton, the Multicultural Club is the biggest student-led organization; it would be difficult to imagine what campus culture would be like if it was disbanded due to anti-DEI measures. With the Supreme Court declaring race-conscious admissions programs unconstitutional in 2023, there is decreasingly less legal protection of these programs and clubs in universities.
Higher education is not just a chain of institutions teaching academics at an elevated level, but rather a place shaping future leaders for any industry. Leading effectively starts with self- understanding and being cognizant of the diverse backgrounds of one’s colleagues. Removing these organizations only sends a hostile message that may further societal tensions.
Proponents of banning these policies argue focusing on DEI detracts from academic priorities and it is a form of reverse discrimination. DEI opponents often contend companies hire unqualified minorities over more qualified candidates, labeling the former as “diversity hires.” However, these policies are not about quotas or hiring unqualified candidates; rather, they counteract biases and systemic obstacles that have historically excluded qualified, or even overqualified, women and minorities. If DEI is suppressed within prestigious and influential universities like West Point, corporations and government organizations may soon follow in its wake.
As an incoming cadet of the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2029, I am especially concerned with possible shifts in dynamics, considering I am both female and Asian American, two minority groups at all five of the U.S. service academies. In USAFA’s Class of 2028, only 38% of the Academy belonged to racial and ethnic minorities and only 30% were women. With new anti-DEI measures, future classes could have even more skewed statistics. Incredibly, this class actually is one of the most diverse classes in USAFA history.
From a young age, people are taught the importance of cultural competence. In an increasingly globalized world, individuals and organizations routinely operate in diverse settings. Colleges, corporations, and even government organizations emphasized the advantage of knowing more than one language and undergoing cultural immersions to communicate with more people across the globe. Following the U.S. Department of Education potentially cutting funding for institutions that fail to cease DEI initiatives and allowing parents to submit reports of publicly-funded K-12 schools which discriminate based on race and sex, these organizations are forced to reverse their stance.
If the goal of higher education is to produce capable workers, thinkers, and leaders, then policies should not focus on restricting opportunities for growth. Eliminating DEI initiatives risks reducing these institutions to mere academic centers that lack the cultural depth needed to foster true leadership and innovation and struggle to retain the diverse talent they claim to value. Developing capable citizens is not only limited to academia or networking opportunities; it includes understanding the world and speaking up even when others disagree. Cultural and DEI organizations only enhance this mission to ensure students remain connected to their roots while learning to appreciate others’ experiences.