The University of Alaska System will no longer use or refer to “diversity,” “equity,” “inclusion,” or other similar words on its websites, print or electronic communications, programs and positions. That’s after a vote by the system’s board of regents, who say they’re still committed to offering an inclusive educational environment.
It was toward the end of two days of meetings at Soldotna’s Kenai Peninsula College that Board of Regents Chair Ralph Seekins appears to veer off script.
“Are we ready for this?” he asks. “Here is a motion that we will make that, if I'm correct, we need to make the motion to approve this. And it is hopefully very clarifying in the minds of a lot of people that are watching to see as the board goes forward.”
Seekins looks to regent Seth Church across the room, who starts to read a motion that wasn’t on the board’s agenda.
“I move the Board of Regents direct the President to take all necessary actions to comply with recent federal executive orders and applicable agency guidance,” Church reads.
Those recent federal orders come from President Donald Trump, who’s put diversity, equity and inclusion policies squarely in his crosshairs. And according to the Board of Regents, those “necessary actions” include scrubbing university websites, employee position titles, programs and communications of the words “diversity,” “equity,” “inclusion” and “other associated terms.”
A preamble to the motion says the board reaffirms its “dedication to being an inclusive, nondiscriminatory institution,” and to continue honoring Alaska Native communities. Seekins underscores that before the vote.
“In a nutshell, we're asking this university be a welcoming, open access university, discrimination toward none and opportunity for all,” he said.
The only vote against came from student member Albiona Selimi. Selimi declined an interview after Friday’s meeting, but said in an email statement the move isn’t in the best interest of students, staff or faculty. She said she also stands to be directly impacted by the board’s decision.
“I am a part of the wonderful McNair Program at UAA, a federally funded program that supports first-generation and historically underrepresented students pursuing graduate education. I am also proudly pursuing a minor in Women’s Studies, a program that is commonly scrutinized by anti-DEI practices."
The Board of Regents is putting enforcement of the new policies in the hands of university chancellors – some of whom sought clarification on how they should be responding to the federal orders. One of those chancellors is former governor Sean Parnell, who oversees the University of Alaska Anchorage.
“I asked for clarifications, because I felt like our employees deserve more certainty about direction, and I could only provide so much as chancellor of one university who answers to the President and the Board of Regents,” he said.
He says part of the confusion stems from the University System’s historic embrace of diversity initiatives. Diversity, equity and inclusion is a cornerstone of UAA’s latest strategic plan, which acknowledges the campus sits on the ancestral homelands of Alaska Natives. It articulates plans to boost diversity among the university community, eliminate systemic racism from university policies and create a sense of belonging for marginalized groups.
“There have been strong policies in the past from Board of Regents, which utilize some of the terms, the DEI terms that are now, not supposed to be used according to the president, President Trump's executive orders,” he said.
University system President Pat Pitney says the motion was really about ensuring none of their existing policies or programs appear discriminatory. And she says that work started before this week’s board meetings.
“It's an emotional subject, and, and people want a very clear answer, and right now, there's not any clear answers, and so the best we can do is focus on our welcoming environment for all,” she said.
Pitney says the board is trying to reaffirm the university system’s openness to all, rather than perceived restrictions to some.
But not everyone thought Friday’s motion was the right move. Monique Musick, who’s part of the university’s staff alliance, cast doubt on whether the motion actually provides clarity.
“I think I'm probably going to be spending a lot of the next few months trying to define that as we try to meet this and finding every way of removing diversity, equity and inclusion and other associated terms, from our jobs, from our research, from our clubs, from our activities,” she said. “I mean, where does this end?”
Kate Quick was in the audience when the board voted. As the votes came down in favor, she shook her head. Quick is an organizing manager for United Academics. That’s the union representing the university system’s non-adjunct faculty and postdoctoral fellows. She’s worried about how the board’s decision is going to impact existing employees and programs.
“I know they're in a tight spot because of the federal mandates, but they're still being reviewed,” she said. “They're being fought. And I think this was premature. They probably could have come out with a different statement saying we're going to continue business as usual until the courts resolve this. But that's not what they did.”
While the board voted, a federal judge blocked significant portions of the Trumps’s DEI orders after determining parts violated the U.S. Constitution.
After the meeting adjourned, the university system’s director of public affairs said he hadn’t yet read about the ruling, but that the language passed Friday is meant to give general clarity to university staff. He said board members will take new developments into account.
