Business school leaders from across the nation attended the annual conference for insights on the current state of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and higher education. The conference was titled, “Staying the DEIB Course: Courage Under Fire During Uncertain Times.”
March 11, 2024
By Amber Billops
The Dallas Morning News attended the Business School DEI Collaborative Conference hosted at TCU Neeley, and wrote about the challenges universities and colleges are facing as legislative actions limit DEI initiatives. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, TCU's chief inclusion officer, highlighted the pervasive impact of statewide legislation on higher education institutions, cautioning that even private universities are not immune to its repercussions.
The Dallas Moring News article spotlights the ways DEI intensified following the Supreme Court's recent verdict against affirmative action and Texas's enactment of legislation prohibiting public universities from pursuing diversity efforts.
Hettie Richardson, interim dean of the Neeley School of Business, underscored the commitment to nurturing inclusive environments conducive to developing future business leaders.
“Our faculty and staff are dedicated to developing business leaders better prepared than ever to make a difference,” Richardson said. “To do so, we are committed to improving diversity, equity and inclusion in both business and society.”
Kenneth Chapman, a TCU Neeley business school instructor, encouraged those attending his session to block out the noise and prioritize students' welfare and academic programming.
In one session, a speaker highlighted The Chronicle of Higher Education's tracking of legislation aimed at ending diversity initiatives on college campuses, and it shows more than 81 bills introduced in the past year targeting diversity initiatives on campuses nationwide. Despite the challenges, Benjamin-Alvarado emphasized the resilience of inclusion practitioners in confronting the uphill battle.
“These are huge issues and challenges that we are facing. But that’s just the beginning of it,” said Benjamin-Alvarado.
