The student government executive branch held listening sessions on Feb. 17 and Feb. 19 as an opportunity to hear student concerns regarding inclusion at UNK. These sessions were held because of an anti-DEI bill in the Nebraska legislature and cuts to inclusion resources at UNL and UNO.
Legislative Bill 552 was introduced on Jan. 22 and eliminates diversity offices, programming and positions at public colleges. The state legislature’s Education Committee is reviewing the bill.
UNK administration has prevented cuts to the Office for Intercultural Engagement and Leadership.
“As we’ve seen at the other campuses, offices like this are an easy target, but I think we’re holding this event to show support and collect testimony to give to administration,” said Sam Schroeder, student body president and UNK student regent.
Students attended the hearings to represent IEL affinity groups, including Women are Problematic, Hispanic Student Association, First Nations Association, African Student Union, Black Student Union, United in Dance and PRISM.
“I’m here because I feel like our student government wants to have these tough conversations about DEI,” said Avery Laing, a junior majoring in middle-level education and a member of the Black Student Union. “With where our country is at right now, I think it’s super important that if they are willing to spend the time to have these hard conversations, we show up and listen to them.”
Schroeder said UNK administrators see the importance of this office and are committed to supporting the IEL office. The decision to make any Diversity, Equity and Inclusion cuts belongs to the chancellor, unless the state government passes the anti-DEI bill.
Students in attendance were concerned that when UNK hires a new chancellor there will not be the same commitment to DEI as during former Chancellor Doug Kristensen’s tenure. Schroeder assured students that the administrators involved in the hiring process are committed to finding a chancellor who will continue to support IEL.
Many attendees said the political climate has raised safety concerns for nontraditional students on campus, and the IEL office was the only place at UNK where they felt safe.
Students from these groups said they constantly censor themselves and their organizations in fear of backlash and discrimination. Some attendees said they feel unsafe around certain professors on campus because of their expression of political beliefs.
They also feel there is a lack of consequences from the administration for discriminatory acts.
“We need support, and we have no one to turn to,” said Hannah Reeve, a senior studying sociology and vice president of PRISM.
Student organizations are struggling to fund activities and events. The office of IEL provides its affinity groups with $250 per semester in funding. Representatives at the listening sessions said they struggle to make this amount last an entire semester and leaders are often required to use their personal money for the organization’s needs.
“It’s really discouraging to put all your own personal money into something and have like three people show up,” Reeve said.
Attendees are concerned because their organizations have extremely low levels of participation from students. They worry that their organizations will not survive after they graduate because there may be no one to take over leadership positions. Low engagement also creates difficulties in event organization.
Attendees said administrators should protect the IEL office because it provides a support system for nontraditional students when they don’t feel included in the community. Schroeder said the IEL office has an important role in guiding students on the path to graduation.
“We live in a system of colleges that traditionally favors the majority, and supporting nontraditional students is so important for recruitment and retention in those demographics, but also for society as a whole, in educating our state and breaking those trauma cycles,” Schroeder said.
