NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia Community College System, which includes colleges in Hampton Roads, is getting in line with ongoing efforts across the country to eliminate what are commonly referred to as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives.
“It makes me disappointed," said Tidewater Community College student Niajah Wilson. Fellow TCC student Rikky Harmon echoed this, calling the news "pretty disappointing."
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The Virginia Community College System passed a resolution to essentially agree to go along with President Donald Trump’s administration’s push to roll back DEI.
In a statement, the administration defends the rollback saying, "Hardworking Americans who deserve a shot at the American Dream should not be stigmatized, demeaned, or shut out of opportunities because of their race or sex."
Wilson and Harmon worry about what the VCCS decision could mean for their ability to pay for college and how other students will be impacted.
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“I currently use FAFSA, and grants and scholarships, to pay for my tuition. So it kind of worries me. If I’m not able to pay for my tuition, I wouldn’t be able to pursue my career," Wilson explained.
“For future students, I’d hope that certain assets that they had before aren’t kind of diminished now," said Harmon.
Eliminating DEI initiatives generally refers to anything done to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. That could be things like programs or events to celebrate or help a certain group.
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However, Virginia Peninsula Community College spokesperson Steven Felker tells WTKR News 3 the impact there likely won’t be as big as you may think.
“I don’t think it’s really going to have a big impact on how we lead or how we operate," Felker said.
Felker explained the college has been focused on making sure what the college does benefits everyone, not just one particular group.
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“There are certainly things that we’re working on at the system level and working with our colleagues at the Virginia Community College System to make sure those kind of broad initiatives across the system are consistent with the resolution and that we’re finding ways to continue to serve all of our students well," said Felker. "Then, there are more specific things that are happening at the college level.”
In a statement, VCCS state board chair Terri Thompson said, in part, their resolution is necessary to ensure colleges continue to get federal funding.
Adopting a resolution to affirm our values and compliance with recent guidance on discrimination and merit-based opportunity and amending language in our policies and strategic plan are critical necessary actions to ensure federal funding for Virginia’s Community Colleges is not compromised. It is our continued ability to provide students with high-quality educational and training opportunities that is at the heart of our mission.
“It’s not just effecting colleges but everywhere, like workplaces, and it’s just really concerning," said Wilson.
“To see that there’s not a lot of progression into a more accepting country but more of a reclusive and reserved sort of space, I don’t think that’s necessarily a pathway that we should always take," Harmon said.
A summary of the VCCS strategic plan and policy changes can be accessed here.
You can read the resolution adopted by the VCCS Board here.
