Critics claim DEI initiatives weaken academic standards by lowering expectations in the name of equity. “That’s not true,” Oppenheimer countered. “What diversity, equity and inclusion programs do is broaden the pool and require us to be more self-reflective. I think that means we raise our standards.”
What’s interesting to note here is that without programs that address diversity, equity, and inclusion that educate people and build awareness, we likely would only promote the success of white, heterosexual, cisgender men over the success of others,” Petty said. “That is what higher education was founded on.”
The probe into GW’s DEI practices in admissions comes after students in November reported rollbacks of several DEI initiatives since Trump launched a national crackdown on campus diversity programs, coupled with officials omitting diversity-related terminology in communications — a move students said indicates the University is yielding to federal pressure.
Moving forward, we are committed to ensuring that our coverage reflects a deeper understanding of disabilities and recognizing that people with disabilities are valued members of the community we serve.
For me, being a first-generation, financially independent college student, and facing a rare neuromuscular disease at the age of 20 meant swimming through many storms. DEI initiatives like women-in-STEM mentorship programs, disability advocacy groups, and fellowships for first-generation students were the only reason I could keep swimming. They didn’t guarantee my success. They just helped me stay in the race.
The precipitous drop in Black enrollment at Vanderbilt is a local crisis with national implications. Left unchecked, it signals a retreat from social mobility, innovation and the multicultural reality of America’s future.
June 9, 2019. Ali Stroker wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. An actor, singer, and wheelchair user, Ali Stroker has been a trailblazer for disability representation on the stage. She was the first wheelchair user to graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts Drama Department at New York University. In 2015, she was the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway, starring as Anna in the musical, Spring Awakening. For her performance as Ado Annie Carnes in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!, Stroker became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award in 2019.
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