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Whitworth University has embedded DEI into its mission to support economic development in Eastern Washington, says interim Chief Diversity Officer Micki Abercrombie-Donahue.
| Erica BullockSome colleges and universities in Eastern Washington are reinforcing their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in light of challenges to DEI policies and programs at higher education institutions in Idaho.
DEI remains a priority for Washington state universities, but what those policies and programs look like and how they function may be changing with the times, some university representatives here say.
In December, the Idaho State Board of Education approved a resolution effectively banning DEI programs at the state's public four-year colleges, which include the University of Idaho, in Moscow, and Lewis-Clark State College, in Lewiston, as well as Boise State University and Idaho State University.
The board's resolution states that DEI ideology is considered to be any approach that prioritizes personal identity characteristics such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or gender identity over individual merit.
The resolution will become effective June 20.
Representatives of two Idaho colleges say their institutions will not be impacted by the board's decision, including North Idaho College, a public two-year community college in Coeur d'Alene, and Lewis-Clark State College, which has a main campus in Lewiston and a satellite campus in Coeur d'Alene.
At an Idaho State Board of Education meeting in December, Lewis-Clark State College President Cynthia Pemberton said, “Our operations are not impacted by these resolutions.”
In light of the recent challenges to DEI initiatives in higher education, some universities in Washington state are doubling down on their commitment to inclusivity on campus.
Micki Abercrombie-Donahue, interim chief diversity officer at Whitworth University, says the private Christian university has a long-standing commitment to DEI that is embedded in all facets of the university.
DEI at Whitworth is framed around a "Christ-centered rationale" that promotes reconciliation, healing, and building bridges across diverse communities, she says.
Over the last five years, Whitworth has broadened its approach and support of DEI from an individual level focused on staff and faculty training to include understanding the experiences of the entire campus community.
The university will keep reimagining its approach to DEI for the future, she says.
"We're just in a very different space right now as a nation and as a state and as a community, so the way we're doing DEI is a little bit different," says Abercrombie-Donahue. "We're pivoting and focusing on career preparation and on economic development in Eastern Washington for underrepresented populations."
Whitworth plans to remain committed to DEI despite potential changes in funding sources, she says.
"I have not heard that any of the programs will be cancelled. What I have heard is that the funding sources may shift," she says.
Currently, Whitworth receives a combination of funds from students with federal Pell Grants, funds from private donors, and other grant funding.
"We've developed a combination of funding sources in order to make sure that students are able to stay here. We're just going to shift the formulas to help the students stay in school," she says.
While Whitworth is a Christian university, Abercrombie-Donahue says the student body is diverse and holds a variety of religious perspectives and theological positions. The university also draws people from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, sexualities, ages, languages, races, ethnicities, and abilities, who are able to find value in the education the university provides.
Whitworth conducts regular DEI assessments and surveys to collect data and identify areas of improvement. The information collected is used to guide the development of targeted programs and initiatives, she says.
As diversity on campus grows, Whitworth aims to promote constructive civil discourse by offering workshops and training for students and faculty to learn how to engage differing viewpoints respectfully and productively, says Abercrombie-Donahue.
"It's an exciting time because our focus is on equipping students to learn how to navigate those difficult conversations for themselves," she says. "Working as a community to ... navigate through those conversations is really where innovation and healing and reconciliation takes place."
Whitworth's decentralized approach to DEI is designed to empower staff and faculty with autonomy in how they implement DEI programming into their curriculum and other initiatives. The university also has a diversity cabinet, and community and student advisory boards that address DEI.
Some Whitworth stakeholders have expressed concerns about how the school approaches DEI on campus, however Abercrombie-Donahue says that she takes time to explain how DEI translates to student support and success outcomes, and many people have come to understand Whitworth's position of inclusivity.
"Our Christ-centered rationale for DEI is a really powerful statement because it unites the campus with the idea of reconciliation and healing related to historical divisions across groups of people and underrepresented populations," she says.
Another Spokane area four-year university is shaking up its approach to DEI on its campus.
At Eastern Washington University, a new DEI program and resource center was launched last fall, dubbed the MESA Student Center, which opened after eight years of planning with a goal to diversify the science, technology, engineering, and math workforce produced at the public university, says Melissa Graham, interim director of EWU's MESA program.
MESA is an acronym for Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement, and operates as a statewide program and as a consortium of MESA programs across 10 states.
EWU hosts the only four-year university MESA program in Washington state, but MESA also is available as a two-year program at Washington State University Everett, as well as at the community college level and at K-12 schools.
"We are setting the stage, and we're developing the concepts and ideas of expanding the university MESA program to Washington state," Graham says.
The MESA Center provides academic support, resources, and community building for STEM students at EWU with a goal to boost student retention, graduation rates, and career readiness, Graham says.
STEM-related majors account for 33% of undergraduates at EWU.
A grand opening for the program was held Dec. 13 at the MESA Center, which is located in the university's Computing and Engineering Building at its Cheney campus.
The center provides a physical space for studying, accessing resources, and socializing, and offers a math course cohort for MESA students that will provide a consistent learning environment with the same instructor.
Additionally, the MESA Center offers workshops and events focused on student needs regarding their academic and career development.
The MESA Center operates with state funding that covers the program's operating costs, Graham says. Community partners also have contributed funds to support extra programming including STEM camps or supplies. Kaiser Aluminum, for example, has donated $5,000 for a summer STEM camp, says Graham.
The MESA center will provide support for any student who seeks assistance, while encouraging students from historically underserved and underrepresented populations to use the space, Graham says.
"We recognize that there are issues of access throughout society and not all students come to Eastern with the same opportunities," says Graham. "This is a space where they can find each other and find a community."