With the Trump administration’s recent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, such as threatening to revoke funding from colleges and launching over 50 investigations into universities to target DEI programs, students are feeling the swift impact of the end of DEI in higher education. These measures have even left Tulane University administrators fearful of funding cuts, leading to the renaming of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to the Office of Academic Excellence and Opportunity. With these overhauls of DEI programs at Tulane, the logical next target would be Tulane’s required race and inclusion credit for undergraduate students.
This three credit core curriculum requirement is a sitting duck to the Trump administration’s campaign to eliminate DEI and any associated language and histories from college classrooms. Tulane’s rationale for the race and inclusion requirement on the college’s website states, “The requirement aims to equip all students with a sophisticated understanding of privilege, equity, social justice, and inclusion, promoting a campus culture that values diverse and underrepresented groups.” This description alone already uses banned language and nomenclature that President Donald Trump is aiming to eradicate.
Despite growing numbers of “woke” fatigue amongst Americans, Trump’s efforts to antagonize DEI programs, educators and students should remind us why programs like Tulane’s race and inclusion credit are necessary for American students. As of now, 165 out of 248 universities and colleges that were surveyed are mandating DEI classes to graduate, according to a Speech First report.
While some politicians are trying to push a narrative that students are rejecting or being indoctrinated into these programs, according to a 2024 survey by College Rover, 70% of college students describe the overall impact of DEI programs as positive, and 49% say their DEI experiences made them more open to diverse perspectives. Students are benefiting from these classes, and more than half of students believe these classes should be mandatory.
Tulane’s demographics are a reminder that the school can fall short of diversity and inclusion even if the university does make an effort to promote these programs. According to Tulane’s Office of the University Registrar, about 60% of Tulane students are white and the remainder are people of color. The most represented region amongst Tulane students is the Northeast, at 29.44% of the student population, a region ranked second highest for median income in the United States.
These student demographics are the most vulnerable to falling short of diversity initiatives. In the same College Rover study, 56% of students reported their first encounter with DEI initiatives was in college. Tulane has a responsibility to educate its students in all aspects necessary to be productive and empathetic members of society. It is simply not enough to have a diverse student body; education for inclusivity creates stronger and smarter working professionals.
These programs benefit students from marginalized backgrounds, as well as those from backgrounds with or without privilege. In the wake of the Trump administration’s dismantling of DEI in higher education, Tulane has a responsibility to its students to protect a fundamental feature of their education. While the race and inclusion credit has not yet been challenged, it is a vital and impactful aspect of Tulane’s core curriculum that the university must fight to preserve for the sake of its students.
