Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced
James Baldwin
Welcome back, Panthers
On August 21, 2023, Prairie View A&M University students returned to “The Hill” to begin another productive fall semester. Over the summer, administration and student leaders implemented some noticeable changes around campus while illuminating new challenges around the school. As the heat remains in the high hundreds, students are well equipped independently and by the administration. To remain cool, portable fans, sizable water bottles, and light but stylish attire have become more prevalent on campus among students. In response to the prolonged heat advisory warnings, Hydration stations have been placed around campus containing free water bottles for students. Campus organizations also passed out sweet treats to battle the draining weather conditions.
This fall, the weather is not the only heat students are battling this semester. Behind the scenes, the Texas legislative body targets distinct campus organizations and entities. In an ongoing multistate stance against diversity, equity, and inclusion practices on college campuses, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17 into law in June 2023, announcing the harrowing decision two days before Texans prepared to celebrate one of their most monumental and historical holidays, Juneteenth.
Senate Bill 17 outlines the new administrative requirements private and public Texas universities will abide by starting January 1, 2024. Since the introduction of Senate Bill 17, Governor Greg Abbott has been characteristically vocal about his views on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. His administration concluded that present-day DEI programs must still perform their intended purpose. Rather than “advance equal opportunity” for students, it has instead transformed into structuring hiring practices to give preference based on race—a decision he and his cohorts made at the expense of underrepresented college communities.
Texas institutions are home to over 1.5 million students from different backgrounds and have different expectations of what diversity, equity, and inclusion look like for their university. Banning DEI practices suppresses cultural nuances each Texas university should be able to make based on the needs of their institution. Diversity, equity, and inclusion exist to ensure that students and faculty can create an understanding of how to address institutional bias within the workplace and classroom. Governor Abbott has stated, “What we’ve seen in our universities is DEI practices that are there for political purposes, advancing political agendas, blanketed with the perception that they are trying to protect diversity,” The governor’s statement is inconsistent with research that highlights that, “it is imperative to continuously model, promote, and shape practices that advance equity and diversity.”
While the Texas legislative body continues to uproot inclusionary practices from higher education institutions, it is evident what the Republican majority fears about changes to the status quo. These worries are, however, a projection of state leadership’s unwillingness to create effective changes outside of the political binary. Texas leadership has framed their concern as an ideology enforcement issue. However, Governor Abbott recounts, “They are purging any conservatives from the faculty and allowing the faculty to be led only by liberal leftists,” The governor was supported by seventeen members of his party who assisted in furthering the politicization of social well-being at Texas universities. Though their mission was to protect diversity, each member acted in the interest of their political ideology, political purposes, and advancing conservative political agendas.
What is Senate Bill 17?
Full Text Transcript: Full Link Here
- Universities cannot create diversity offices, hire employees to conduct DEI work, or do DEI training as a condition for being hired by or admitted to the university.
- Promoting policies, programs, procedures, training, or activities referencing race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The institution’s general counsel must submit writing, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has to approve these measures. The coordinating board’s main objective is to ensure institutions are following procedures.
- If a federal granting agency or accreditation agency requires DEI programs, a Texas university or employee can submit a statement highlighting the school’s work helping first-generation, low-income, or underserved populations.”
- Institutions shall not spend state-appropriated funds on practices promoting DEI, and any institution found in violation is “ineligible to receive formula funding increases, institutional enhancements, or exceptional items.”
- To track the impact of the diversity ban, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will “conduct a biennial study to identify its impact on application rates, acceptance rate, matriculation rate, retention rate, grade point average, and graduation rate.”
- “A public institution of higher education may provide to each employee in good standing at the institution whose position is eliminated as a result of the implementation of Section 51.3525, Education Code, as added by this Act, a letter of recommendation for employment for a position at the institution or elsewhere.”
What will happen to Prairie View A&M University?
Prairie View A&M University will lose its Multicultural affairs center on January 1, 2024. Once Texas Senate Bill 17 goes into effect, the LGBTQIA+ Resource Office located in May Hall will cease operation. The LGBTQIA+ Resource Office is responsible for promoting diversity and student leadership and development by contributing to the recruitment and retention of the under-represented student population and creating and maintaining a more inclusive learning community. The resource office establishes a safe space for students to explore their identity freely. The dissolvement of such programs relating to DEI at Prairie View displaces our most vulnerable students. Until December, students may enjoy the comfort of security without judgment because, within a moment’s notice, the computers available for working on class assignments, listening to music, or watching videos will be unserviceable.
A lack of accessible resources hinders students from pursuing and receiving information about cultural events and programs the center sponsors. As the director of the Multicultural Affairs office, Elma De Luna-Gonzalez faces termination from her position because of the implementation; students will lose their home coordinator for National Student Exchange. The NSE program provides resources from over 200 college campuses to eligible students wishing to participate in a study abroad opportunity in the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The conclusion of Ms. Luna-Gonzalez’s duties and the center’s purpose for social well-being creates a disconnect between administration and student interests. This disconnect results in students being uninformed about how to take courses not offered at our campus, investigate graduate schools or employment opportunities, and explore and appreciate new cultures.
All demographics of Prairie View A&M University deserve equal representation within the confines of the community. Students and administration should be free to build a stable community among one another. At Texas Girl Writes, I encourage my readers, fellow students, and opponents to join the conversation of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the following legislative actions.
Resources
Understanding the challenges faced by LGBTQ Youth state by state and how we can help.Full Link Here
Trans Empowerment Project is a Trans-led and founded non-profit serving trans & gender expansive communities, particularly QTPOC:Trans Assistance Application: Full Link Here
National Student Exchange global research program information. Full Link Here
LGBTQ+ Student Scholarship Database.Full Link Here
Comprehensive Guide for Diverse and Multicultural Students.Full Link Here
texasgirlwrites.com 
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