And They Were Roommates: Promoting DEI in an Anti-DEI Legislative Era [ID 28]
Open education invites communities to envision a future in which access to educational opportunities is open, inclusive, and transformative. This vision requires intentional consideration of issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In the United States, some states have passed legislation which prohibit public institutions of higher education from using federal funds to support initiatives exploring DEI, going so far as to prevent participation in conferences, committees, and publications with a named emphasis on these topics. The weaponization of language has led universities across the country to rebrand departments and titles involving DEI- even in states without anti-DEI legislation to preemptively safeguard this important work.
With DEI under attack, is the solution to change the language, to redefine the acronym that has become a politicized buzzword? Some believe that if the language is updated to covertly allow practitioners to continue, this will lead to benefits. But with this ‘optimized’ language, we run the risk of having a false impression of benefit and doing actual harm.
Participants in this session will engage in discussion to consider how the purpose and outcome of the work can be accomplished by integrating DEI into practice in ways that reflect understanding of the core meaning and bypassing now prohibited language.
Author Keywords
DEI, Language, Anti-DEI Legislation, Weaponization of Language
Session Details
Format: Presentation
Presenter(s): Liliana Diaz, Kathy Essmiller, Heather Blicher, Frances Alvarado-Albertorio
Brisbane Time: November 13, 1:30 PM → 2:00 PM AEST
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Room: P3
Topic Area: Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Sched: View in conference schedule
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