Diversity is looked at as a positive thing. It allows people of different backgrounds to mingle and get to know each other, but some people don’t see it that way. The Texas Senate has passed a bill that requires the state’s public universities to close their diversity and equity inclusion offices.
The bill implies that it restricts how the state’s public universities can promote equitable access to higher education and cultivate diversity amongst students, faculty and staff. This sheds a whole new light on how universities will now be looked at, and it has sparked a lot of different opinions from multiple universities.
This has been a controversial topic, since not everybody agrees with this decision. Diversity is a positive topic that needs to be talked about more often. The fact that they have required universities to close their inclusion of this topic seems so pointless. We’re in a new generation where we need to be more inclusive and accepting of others, and requiring colleges that most likely have quite a bit of diversity on their campuses to close the offices that promote that seems unfair.
Promoting and encouraging diversity would not only be positive for the students but also for the campus as a whole. It could not only increase the student population, but it could also benefit the universities’ reputations. A more inclusive university is going to appeal to more people and attract more students; one that doesn’t is less likely to appeal to people. Some could argue that this would be a huge step back for equal opportunity and it would form negative stereotypes toward the different campuses.
The negative effects of this situation can go as far as to make people feel underrepresented and underappreciated. Colleges are supposed to be welcoming to all, and they’re supposed to make students feel safe and comfortable. This bill is going to be a downfall for multiple universities, and it’s certainly going to ruin their reputations and have a large effect on how many students will want to go there.
Overall, this bill seems to be pointless and has no positive impact on the universities it’s going to affect. This will cause many schools to be negatively looked at, and it won’t be beneficial to anyone. They should let the universities have more freedom to promote diversity instead of restricting them from doing so.