With the Supreme Court’s decision on June 29 to restrict affirmative action at higher education institutions in the US, many of us are left with many questions and uncertainties. How can we . . . live up to our ambitious DEI statements (for EALC, see https://ealc.indiana.edu/diversity/dei-statement.html) in an environment that refuses to acknowledge structural obstacles for people from underserved communities, including many racial and ethnic minorities? SCOTUS’ decision comes at a time when we in EASC are planning our outreach activities for the coming years, and I’m more convinced than ever that our ambition of increasing our outreach impact by 50% (measured on number of credit hours completed by participating K12 teachers) over the next two years is an important goal. Inclusion and equity does not begin in the hiring committee, the graduate admission committee, or even in the college admission process, but in how effectively we make information and opportunities of engagement and learning accessible for all communities in our state and our nation. This, I believe, is the true form of affirmative action and something that SCOTUS cannot yet prevent. If you feel the same, please reach out to me so we can have a wee chat about how you (whether you are faculty, staff, or student) can make a difference together with EASC and the faculty and students already working with us.
Morten Oxenboell
Director, EASC
mortoxen@indiana.edu
Leave a Reply