On March 27, the University of Michigan announced it was cutting all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
In a new opinion piece for Bridge Michigan, Luke Shaefer, Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy, argues that the University of Michigan should not give in to pressure from the Trump Administration so easily. “When a schoolyard bully demands your lunch money, if you give it to him, he will probably ask again tomorrow. It is not easy to figure out what to do instead. But if you give in quickly, you’ve labeled yourself an easy target,” Shaefer writes.
Shaefer points to the tangible progress the university has made since launching its DEI initiative in 2016—from a dramatic rise in first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds, to substantial increases in Black, Hispanic, and Asian American enrollment. “Today’s student body is much more representative of our state and of our nation,” he notes. “It is more socio-economically, racially, and geographically diverse. And its credentials have never been better. The same is true for our faculty.”
The University of Michigan’s DEI program was far from perfect. However, Shaefer argues, that doesn’t mean it should be totally scrapped. “Our DEI programming wasn’t ever going to fix all this, but it was a step toward awareness and acknowledgement. Now so much of this history is being further scrubbed and suppressed,” he writes.
Shaefer urges the University to stand up against federal pressures, particularly given its vast financial resources. “[I]t is easier to fight for what’s right when you have $19.2 billion in the bank, roughly the value of U-M’s endowment. If universities with that kind of cushion don't have the courage to stand up for their values, those without billions certainly aren’t going to. Institutions with great resources have a greater responsibility to act with courage.”
>>Read the full opinion article in Bridge Michigan here
