Abstract
Student affairs practitioners are faced with myriad decisions each day, some of which conflict with their personal beliefs and institutional values. This case highlights the complexity of decision-making in the era of anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) legislation. As with many public universities in the South, the institution finds itself in the political crosshairs of anti-DEI legislation, thus having a ripple effect on campus life. Cam, the Assistant Director for Student Activities and Leadership, experiences internal conflict while supporting a student organization’s Anti-DEI Celebration Rally. This scenario provides an opportunity for exploration and reflection on the tensions between policy enforcement and equity-minded decision-making.
Characters
- Cam (he/him) serves as the Assistant Director for Student Activities and Leadership in the Office of Student Engagement. Cam, a white, queer, cis-gender man, joined the institution two years ago after graduating with his master’s degree in Higher Education Student Affairs (HESA). He has developed strong relationships with students and colleagues over the last two years and prides himself on being a social justice advocate for minoritized students on campus. Cam advises the 400+ registered student organizations on how to effectively lead their student organizations while at the same time upholding the University’s policy expectations.
- Erin (she/her) is an undergraduate student majoring in political science and serves as the newly elected president of the Smoky Mountain Freedom Allegiance Club. She is a prominent student leader on campus and is known for mobilizing students toward action.
- Edwards (she/her) is the Vice President for Student Affairs at Smoky Mountain University and has served in this role for the past 22 years. Although committed to student development and engagement, Dr. Edwards is perceived by students and colleagues as being “out of touch” with current student needs and DEI practices.
Context
This case is set at Smoky Mountain University (SMU), a regional, public four-year institution located in the Southeast region of the United States. SMU is a predominantly white institution and enrolls around 15,000 students (12,000 undergraduates, 3,000 graduates). As a public institution, SMU is part of a state system of higher education and is governed by a Board of Governors composed mostly of conservative-leaning business leaders and politicians. According to the institution’s mission statement, the university seeks to “prepare students to meet the great challenges facing our state, nation, and our world.” Furthermore, SMU shares the following DEI statement on their website: “We affirm the importance of a diverse and inclusive campus community, one that is enriched by persons of different backgrounds, perspectives, cultures, socioeconomic status, and other diverse characteristics.” Similar to most public universities in the Southeast, SMU finds itself in the political crosshairs of anti-DEI legislation. The majority of student affairs practitioners at SMU embrace the values of equity and inclusion and pride themselves in creating welcoming and inclusive spaces where all students can take part in campus life. However, they often find themselves having to tip-toe around DEI topics because they are not sure what they can and cannot say. This unspoken institutional norm between talking about equity and putting words into action (McNair et al., 2020) plagues staff, faculty, and administrators at the institution.
Case Study
It is around 12:30pm on a Wednesday, and Cam is finishing lunch in his office before his next one-on-one student meeting. It has been a fairly calm week, and he is looking forward to some downtime this weekend after a hectic start to the semester. As he looks at his calendar, he remembers that his 1:00pm meeting is with Erin, the newly elected president of the Freedom Allegiance Club. The club has an active membership roster of 125 students, and according to their constitution, the mission of the Freedom Allegiance Club is to “protect and defend conservative values and mobilize others toward action.” The club is known around campus as a group who is not afraid to push hot button issues, especially through a politicized agenda that will garner attention. While in the food court the other day, Cam overheard a group of students exclaim that, “Freedom Allegiance Club is fueled by racists and homophobes… All they do is create an unsafe place.”
Cam had a good working relationship with the previous club president, but this is the first time Cam and Erin have officially met. During the meeting, Erin shares that the Freedom Allegiance Club is planning to host a Celebration Rally on campus in favor of the anti-DEI legislation that has passed in states across the country over the last several months. The event is scheduled for this coming Friday afternoon (two days from now) with nearly 500 people having already RSVP’d on social media. According to Erin, the club is expecting a “huge turnout” on the main University Quad, and they have contacted local news stations for coverage of their event. When Cam asks Erin the purpose of the event, she says that the club wants to generate excitement on campus in support of anti-DEI legislation. During their meeting a few weeks ago, many members felt that the university administration does not support conservative students on campus. Erin shares that the goal of the event is to “rally the troops around our ideals and to call out radical left beliefs that are harming our country and local community.”
Much to Cam’s surprise, the club has already completed all the required space reservation agreements and coordinated the appropriate event setup needs through the Events and Reservations Office. As he reviews the approved forms, he thinks to himself, “How did this event slip through the cracks without follow-up?” As they wrap-up their meeting, Erin shares that Cam is the only staff member that explicitly knows about the rally. Although Cam wants to maintain trust with the student, he realizes he has a responsibility to share this information with others. Cam tells Erin that he plans to review their event needs in greater detail and will be in touch with additional information. The meeting concludes around 1:35pm. About 20 minutes later, you receive the email below from Dr. Edwards, Vice President for Student Affairs:
Hi Cam,
I have received several messages of concern from the Chancellor’s Office and faculty members about a rally that is allegedly taking place this Friday on the Main Quad in favor of recent Anti-DEI Legislation. Looking at the Freedom Allegiance Club’s social media pages, it appears that over 500 people have already confirmed their attendance at the event. Of greater concern, it appears that many of the attendees are not current students or campus affiliates, and the event has been promoted widely to public audiences. In fact, I received a phone call just a few minutes ago from a local news station asking if I would like to make a public comment on the event and the university’s stance on DEI-related issues. Please share with me your recommendations on how to ensure that all students on both sides of this issue are being fully supported and that we are maintaining equitable practices. As you know, this is a tedious topic on our campus, so please give it your fullest attention to detail. Thanks for all that you do for our students.
After meeting with Erin and reading Dr. Edwards’ email, Cam feels deep internal conflict and a sense of responsibility. This event runs counter to Cam’s core values and ideals of equity and inclusion. Importantly, he is aware of the harmful impact this event could have on minoritized students, faculty, and staff on campus. At the same time, he is responsible for upholding university policies so that all students, regardless of ideology and beliefs, have access to campus space and resources. He finds himself struggling to navigate the situation.
Discussion Questions
- What are the tensions that Cam needs to consider in preparing the campus community for this potentially controversial event?
- How can Cam use university, state, or federal policies or guidelines to inform his decision?
- How might Cam mobilize others to support him in this endeavor? Which individuals or groups need to be at the table in this process?
- How can Cam ensure minoritized community members feel safe and supported in the coming days and beyond?
- Looking internally, how might Cam reflect upon his own positionality and values to make deeper meaning of this experience to enhance his leadership capacity in the future.
References
McNair, T. B., Bensimon, E. M., Malcolm-Piqueux, L. (2020). From equity talk to equity walk: Expanding practitioner knowledge for racial justice in higher education. Jossey-Bass.
Author Bio
Dr. Dustin Evatt (he/him) serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice in Higher Education at Western Carolina University where he teaches courses in the Higher Education Student Affairs (HESA) program, Educational Leadership doctoral program, and the undergraduate Leadership Minor. Before joining faculty, Dustin worked as a scholar-practitioner in higher education for over 13 years in the areas of student engagement and leadership, career development, equity and inclusion, and young alumni engagement. Dustin’s research explores critical leadership and equity-mindedness in college administrators and students using critical whiteness and queer theories. Originally from South Carolina, Dustin received his Ed.D. from Appalachian State University, M.Ed. from the University of Vermont, and a B.S. degree from Winthrop University.