In a recent news article, administrators at the University of Alaska Anchorage announced an unexpected but welcomed shift in student admission numbers: they’re going up.
This shift signifies a real opportunity for Alaska and its public universities, a potential for growth and progress that we should all be hopeful about.
But I’m deeply concerned about the future of my alma mater and the values it represents.
And I have every right to be. As a current UAF PhD student and graduate of both UAA and UAF, I am devastated by the recent decisions made by our Board of Regents. Their 11th-hour vote earlier this year to remove all mentions of diversity, equity, inclusion and other associated terms from university websites and public-facing materials felt like a gut punch to me and many of my fellow students.
There continues to be little to no public explanation, with only quiet whisperings of financial concerns, as to why such a vote and subsequent action were necessary, given that the directive to do so was an unenforceable executive order that reeks of federal overreach.
Now, some may argue that the Board of Regents’ actions do not alter the actual work being done at our state’s public universities. While I may agree to a point, the regents’ actions signal something greater than just compliance with an unenforceable and state-rights-threatening Executive Order.
And that signal became clearer with the recent cancellation of millions of dollars in federal support for academic research, Alaska Native students, and the Indigenous studies program.
The Board of Regents’ attempt to appease the federal government by eliminating language that provides visible support for its own incredibly diverse student body only resulted in further codified erasure. Their willingness to sacrifice the psychological well-being of minority and underserved students and faculty for financial gain has accomplished nothing beyond revealing whose side those in power are on.
Alaska’s strength is rooted in our unwavering commitment to fairness for every individual in our state. We stand firm on the rule of law and confront our history with courage, acknowledging and honoring whose land we live upon and help steward.
We prioritize effective public policy over the distractions of partisanship and divisiveness. Our state made history by being the first to enact civil rights legislation, and we are the only state in the union that has set aside political differences to have bipartisan and tri-partisan coalitions lead our state legislature.
In Alaska, we foster a culture of respect and camaraderie. We engage in fair competition and remain supportive neighbors, even while having significant political disagreements. We celebrate our differences and proudly refer to ourselves as Alaskans, even though many of us have only recently chosen to make this great state our home.
With nearly half of the student body self-identifying as non-white, the recent decision by the Board of Regents will have a significant and harmful impact on the future of the University of Alaska. Altering the language from “inclusion” to “belonging” changes the intent.
True belonging comes from a deep sense of acceptance and inclusion. Belonging cannot be measured, and one cannot truly belong without being included and respecting each other’s diversity. The removal of diversity and inclusion from our university’s values not only undermines the morale and well-being of our students and faculty but also affects the quality of education and research we offer.
I am profoundly disappointed in our Board of Regents for allowing incendiary rhetoric, division and fearmongering, as well as the purposeful misuse of diversity, equity and inclusion, to infiltrate the effective management of our public university system.
Previous Boards of Regents members were committed to upholding the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. They understood that these words didn’t imply or create racial quotas or permit unqualified hires. The Regents that came before were clearly aware that in our public university system, which has open enrollment, these terms never equated to denying one group admission while welcoming another. In fact, they were instrumental in fostering a more diverse and inclusive environment within our university system, a legacy that the current Board of Regents seems to be erasing.
Now, I can only wonder how much further they will go. I have little faith that they won’t continue to cater to Washington’s agenda of erasure.
I’m deeply disappointed in what’s happening at my academic home. To borrow a term from the 1920s that called on Black and brown folks to become aware of injustices and discrimination happening around them, wake up. Wake Regents. Wake. Up.
Sen. Löki Gale Tobin holds a dual Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree from UAA, a graduate degree from UAF, is currently a PhD student in Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and represents Senate District I in the Alaska State Legislature.