No Shortcut to Equity: CA Higher Ed Must Counter Federal Challenges to Inclusion

The opportunity to receive an education has been the bedrock of the American Dream, helping propel the United States to become a leader in the global economy. For nearly half a century, the Department of Education has reinforced that value by ensuring that all people—regardless of background or where they live—can receive a quality education. By offering critical funding and services to students with disabilities and students in rural communities, as well as administering financial aid and enforcing students’ educational rights against discrimination, the Department of Education (ED) plays a critical role in our society. Despite this, the current administration is moving forward with an executive order to shutter the ED, an action that will have devastating implications for students across the country and the state of California. 

The latest actions by the administration to dismantle the Department of Education, along with the administration’s relentless attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, will leave millions of students and their families vulnerable to discrimination and deny them the opportunity to succeed in school, achieve their individual potential, and prepare for the future workforce. We cannot allow this administration to steamroll students and communities to achieve its agenda; too much is at stake for our students and the future of our country.  

“Policymakers and education leaders in California must hold the line and stand up for opportunity and all students in this country, demanding that Congress protects and funds the Department of Education against this reckless executive order. Leaders must make clear that these attempts to cause confusion will not undo our collective commitment to education as our nation’s great equalizer. All students have the right to better their lives, their communities, and America with their talents by receiving an equitable education,” says President Jessie Ryan.

    These actions have consequences that reverberate across the country and this moment matters because higher education is central to California’s status as the land of opportunity.

Amidst federal attacks to efforts that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are deeply disappointed by the University of California’s (UC) announcement that it will no longer require diversity statements in faculty recruitment and hiring. Weakening our commitments to faculty diversity runs contrary to our values as a state that boasts a world-class public higher education system tasked with educating an undergraduate body of which 71% of students are Latinx, Black, Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI), or American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN). The UC, in particular, requires faculty that reflects the backgrounds and lived experiences of its students to succeed: 76% of UC undergraduate students are Latinx, Black, Asian American, NHPI, or AIAN.  

The benefits of a representative faculty are myriad and well documented: students of historically underserved backgrounds report higher course pass rates, better grades, greater mentorship, and greater campus belonging. Students of all backgrounds are also better prepared to excel in an increasingly global workforce and economy. This decision, which has far-reaching impacts on students, should not have been decided in a vacuum, but with a strategy and shared commitment to retain inclusion and belonging for UC’s multi-racial student population. 

“The UC’s short-sighted move sends the wrong message to the students California is counting on to power our economy and democracy forward. It could also trigger a domino effect. Students and faculty deserve higher education systems that are upstanders against the pressures threatening their belonging on college campuses. The administration may use this act of pre-emptive compliance as permission to further disempower students. Our state leaders must act courageously and cannot take shortcuts in defense of students. The fact remains that improving faculty representation is a core strategy to creating equal opportunity for students in higher education, and no executive order or administrative action lawfully prohibits these strategies,” says Ryan.