D*v*rs*ty Isn’t a Dirty Word

A Toolkit for Admissions & Enrollment Teams When DEI is on the Chopping Block

Image source: Chatgpt 4o

Another day, another policy shift threatening to cut down diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. But diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts aren’t some hollow tree waiting to fall. The roots run deep, and the work doesn’t stop just because the language changes. If you work in admissions, enrollment, or student support, you might be wondering: What does this mean for how we communicate with students? How do we continue supporting them if certain words are now “banned”? And what can we actually do to keep diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts alive?

The answer? The work continues, no matter what terminology shifts. And we’re not the only ones refusing to back down.

The U.S. Department of Education’s latest "Dear Colleague" letter threatens to strip funding from institutions that don’t comply with its anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda. But higher ed leaders aren’t sitting quietly. A coalition of 60+ higher education associations, led by the American Council on Education (ACE), is demanding the directive be rescinded, calling it a misguided and legally questionable attack on inclusive education.

It’s also interesting to learn who didn’t sign. In his most recent blog post, Oregon State University’s Vice Provost of Enrollment Management, Jon Boekenstedt, blasted the College Board for not joining the coalition.

Meanwhile, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Sociological Association have taken the fight to federal court, arguing that this policy isn’t just harmful. It’s unconstitutional.

But, we must remind ourselves that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts aren’t disappearing. They’re evolving. And if you’re working in student admissions, enrollment, or support, you still have the power to protect access, belonging, and opportunity, even if the words themselves are being erased.

Here’s how.

1. Protecting the 1:1 Student Experience (What You Say Matters)

For many students, their first interaction with an institution happens through an admissions recruiter, an advisor, or an orientation leader. That first impression determines whether they feel like they belong. To navigate this shifting landscape, be mindful of how messaging evolves. If “DEI” has become politically charged, reframe your language. Instead of saying, “Our commitment to diversity,” emphasize inclusivity with statements like, “We welcome students from all backgrounds and experiences.”

It’s also crucial to review outreach materials. Does your website, brochures, or event programming still signal inclusion? Are first-gen initiatives, scholarships, and student support services still being promoted…perhaps under a different name? Students should never have to guess what resources exist; make it clear that mentorship, financial aid, and student success programs are available. Those in admissions, recruitment, financial aid, and student engagement play a key role in ensuring students receive the right support from the start.

2. Keeping Student Support Programs Alive

With budget cuts often targeting scholarships, mentorship programs, and student services, diversity, equity, and inclusion work doesn’t disappear, it just requires adaptation. If “diversity” scholarships are eliminated, can they be rebranded? Can you focus on first-generation scholarships? Can retention programs be framed as “academic success initiatives” to align with broader institutional goals?

Moving diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts under the umbrella of academic engagement or career development makes it harder for institutions to justify eliminating them. These initiatives have evolved before, from affirmative action to equal opportunity programs. The name may change, but the mission remains.

By the way, a 2023 global dataset and a systematic review of 194 studies found that 63% of affirmative action programs improved outcomes for ethnic, religious, or racial minorities. (Source: UNU)

So, if funding is at risk, make the case using retention data: programs that improve student performance and alumni engagement justify their own existence. Academic advisors, student affairs professionals, and grant writers must take the lead in ensuring these programs persist. If data shows these programs improve retention, performance, and alumni engagement, that is your argument.

3. Hiring & Leadership: Ensuring Representation Stays Intact

If diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring initiatives are impacted, institutions will default to the status quo, undoing years of progress in faculty and leadership diversity. To prevent this, job descriptions should be reevaluated. Remove unnecessary barriers that discourage diverse candidates, such as requiring experience only from elite institutions.

Even if formal diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices are restricted, hiring committees can still include diverse perspectives. Additionally, leadership development programs can create internal pathways for promotion, ensuring that underrepresented faculty and staff have opportunities to advance. Department chairs, deans, hiring managers, and HR professionals must take proactive steps to maintain progress in representation.

4. Institutional Decisions: Playing the Long Game

Long-term change requires embedding equity, belonging, and access into policies, even if they aren’t labeled as “DEI.” If this language is no longer allowed in a mission statement, find alternatives such as “student access,” “success for all,” or “inclusive learning environments.”

Collaboration with legal and compliance teams is essential to distinguish between what is legally banned and what is merely politically pressured. Finding creative ways to integrate equity into accreditation standards and student success benchmarks ensures these principles remain ingrained in institutional policies. Higher education organizations like ACE, NACAC, NASFA, NASPA, and EducationCounsel or the 60 others who contributed to the are valuable allies in tracking policy shifts and providing strategic guidance. University leaders, policymakers, and accreditation teams should work together to sustain these efforts. vs. what’s just politically pressured.

The Bottom Line: The Work Doesn’t Stop

If you’re frustrated, confused, or angry about the latest diversity, equity, and inclusion rollbacks, you’re not alone. But higher education has always been more than policies and funding. The real work happens in conversations, in hiring rooms, in mentorship meetings, and in student support programs.

So, where do you take action? Consider your place in the Funnel for Development and Transformation (FDT), a framework that illustrates how decisions at the leadership level trickle down to student experiences. Policy and funding dictate access and hiring, while program structures determine whether these policies translate into real opportunities. At the core, students don’t just experience policies, they experience people.

The Funnel for Development and Transformation (FDT) we’ve built shows how decisions at the leadership level in higher education impact student success, much like how the prospective student pool is visualized as a funnel. At the top, policy and leadership decisions define access, funding, and hiring. As we move down, hiring practices, program funding, and student support structures determine whether those policies translate into real opportunities. At the bottom, where individual impact happens, students don’t just experience policies. They experience people.

At Level 1 (Policy and Systemic Change), governments, accrediting bodies, and industry leaders shape laws, funding, and regulations that impact entire sectors. Level 2 (Institutional Decision-Making) focuses on universities, corporations, and leadership teams setting strategic priorities, policies, and large-scale initiatives. Level 3 (Hiring, Promotion, and Development) involves HR, department heads, and faculty creating career pathways, professional growth opportunities, and leadership pipelines. Level 4 (Student Support Programs) centers on institutional resources like mentorship, career services, and DEI initiatives that enhance student success. Finally, Level 5 (The 1:1 Student Experience) is the most direct, where advisors, mentors, and professors engage with students on an individual level, shaping their academic and career trajectories through personal guidance.

• Are you a key decision-maker in institutional policy? Play the long game. Embed access at every level.

• An advocate for student support services? Keep programs running, even under new names.

• Do you contribute to professional development? Ensure equity in hiring and promotion.

• Work in admissions and enrollment? Ensure students feel like they belong.

They can swing the axe, strip the branches, and claim diversity doesn’t belong. But diversity isn’t a dirty word or a dead tree. It’s a living, growing force. It’s what keeps higher education and our society moving forward.

And as long as we’re here, the work continues.

❤️AM