HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Following a June 2023 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down affirmative action, Northern Kentucky University has become one of several colleges nationwide to discontinue its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

What You Need To Know

  • In a June 2023 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively prohibited the affirmative use of race as a “plus” factor in student admissions by private and public academic institutions 

  • Many colleges nationwide have discontinued their diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a result, including Northern Kentucky University

  • Some students expressed concerns on how this decision will affect diversity on campus

Some NKU students have expressed their concerns and said they feel the university is taking a step backward by eliminating DEI programs. For many, these offices played a vital role in fostering an inclusive environment.

"I feel if there wasn't a need for these offices, they wouldn't exist," said Jai’Lynn Tomlin, NKU senior. "You're taking away a necessity, a resource." 

Junior Justin Stokes echoed Tomlin's sentiment.

"It makes it a little bit more difficult to find a community on campus when I'm not able to see consistently people who look like me, who come from the same background as me, who come from the same community as me," he said. 

In an Aug. 29 email to students, President Cady Short-Thompson said Chief Diversity Officer Darryl Peal had stepped down, leading to the dissolution of the Office of Inclusive Excellence. 

NKU’s actions align with similar moves seen at institutions like the University of Florida, where DEI positions were eliminated following state legislation banning the use of funds for such programs. While the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education supports helping all students thrive, Senior Vice President and General Counsel Travis Powell said universities have the right to determine how to foster an inclusive environment.

"We’re dedicated to helping students and making our college campuses have an environment that’s accepting to all students," Powell said. "Does that have to be done through a DEI office? I don’t necessarily know. That’s up to the institutions to decide."

However, students like Tomlin argued DEI offices are essential for building community and sharing culture.

"A lot of people feel as though these offices exist to separate or segregate the population on campuses," Tomlin said. "But I feel like making these decisions is going to draw a rift between a lot of the communities on campus."

Stokes added the removal of DEI programs has already shifted the campus culture.

"I feel like all of those offices being taken away has made it so getting to find your space, getting to find your people, is going to be much more difficult because those spaces have been eradicated, essentially," he said.

During the last legislative session, two bills aimed at limiting DEI policies at public universities failed to gain traction in both the Kentucky House and Senate. This included Senate Bill 6, which aimed to limit DEI efforts on campus, and House Bill 228, which would have required faculty to undergo regular evaluations. 

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