Dr. Royel M. Johnson
SB 17 is one of several anti-DEI bills introduced across the country. So far, similar bills have been signed into law in Florida, Tennessee, Utah, North Carolina and North Dakota.
While these bills claim to “abolish DEI bureaucracies and restore equality in public universities,” they often involve considerable mischaracterizations of DEI and the critical supports these programs provide to students of color, LGBTQ+ students and other marginalized populations.
The USC report is intended to provide baseline data to understand campus racial climates before the law’s implementation and after. DEI encompasses a range of programming and policies that contribute to improving campus climate. This can include centers, identity-based student organizations and cultural awareness programs. SB 17 brings about the elimination of these entities.
“Texas is a bellwether state in many ways, and it has been part of the face of the far-right conservative movement and its coordinated attacks on DEI,” said Dr. Royel M. Johnson, an associate professor at the University of Southern California, director of the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) and an author of the report. “In many ways, when Texas moves in a particular way, it becomes the model for other states to exercise agency in ways that are really concerning.”
The report draws on data from the NACCC, a trio of quantitative surveys focused on campus racial climate, administered by the USC Race and Equity Center.
Dr. Liliana M. Garces, the Ken McIntyre Professor for Excellence in School Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin, said this report is valuable and shows the consequences that anti-DEI legislation can have on the student experience.
“These are programs and initiatives that were in place to support student learning and student success for all students,” said Garces. “The report is really highlighting how much the learning environment is being affected for students. These policies are inhibiting institutions from being able to promote that learning, to promote the safety and feelings that students need to feel that they belong on college campuses. That their experiences are valued and also to be able to learn from one another.”
A notable point in the report is that students of color in Texas are experiencing negative academic and psychological consequences and LGBTQ+ and non-binary students say that they feel less safe and less welcome.
“One of the goals was to humanize the lived experiences of so many students in the state who are navigating a new reality under this current legislation,” said Johnson. “This is not abstract.”
The removal of centers and supports critical for student engagement will have a detrimental impact on students that will likely increase over time, said Johnson who added that these entities have helped to increase retention and student success.
Dr. Jihye Kwon
“So many institutions for decades have peddled DEI as part of their rhetoric for their universities,” said Johnson. “They recognize some value in DEI. If we’ve done all of this work in support of DEI for the last two decades, why are we folding in this particular moment?”
Johnson said this is a question around institutional will, moral courage and leaders saying DEI is fundamental to higher education institutions.
The report notes that the lack of DEI programming also decreases the opportunities for students to learn about race and build community. While academic courses and research are not included under SB 17, Johnson said there are indications that faculty are avoiding discussions around equity and race because of fear of repercussions.
“About 44% [of students] regardless of their racial background indicate they do not learn about race from anyone on campus,” said Dr. Jihye Kwon, associate director for survey research at the USC Race and Equity Center, and an author of the report. “At these public institutions racial learning is already lacking. We think SB 17 likely exacerbates this issue.”
The report concludes with recommendations for action. These include sustaining equity work through creative strategies and leveraging private partnerships and alumni networks. The report also encourages the countering of misinformation with data-driven advocacy. This includes using evidence-based reports to highlight the benefits of DEI programs as well as monitoring and documenting student outcomes.
“We think that this legislation may negatively affect institutions,” said Kwon, who added that the common way to track student reaction is through campus climate surveys.
Johnson said with the start of a second Trump presidency in a few weeks, the attacks on DEI will likely widen.
“We have to be in community," he said. "We have to coalition build and we have to double down and not retreat from what we know matters."
