Calvin Hill, the vice chancellor for inclusive excellence and belonging, held a presentation April 9 discussing the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at UMass Boston.
The presentation, requested by the Black Faculty Staff Association, comes in the midst of the Trump administration’s attacks on DEI. Hill said there has been a shift in focus for the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, focusing less on opportunity alone and more on results.
“We’ve got to move away from those feel-good programs and opportunities to specifically document outcomes. Those of us who are in these fields, we’ve got to do a lot more,” Hill said. “We’ll look at data and try to make sure that we’re documenting the graduation rates and the difference in those graduation rates between our campus minoritized and marginalized populations.
“We’ve got to do more in terms of looking at pay equity across campus. We’ve got to do more to focus on that sense of belonging for individuals across campus,” Hill added.
Hill discussed the Department of Education’s Dear Colleague letter, sent to universities across the country instructing them to dismantle DEI programs. He said that the university is planning to stay the course with its programs, as this letter has no legal effect.
Hill also addressed concerns that university administrators are not speaking out about attacks on education. “I know that these college and university presidents are going to speak up,” Hill said. “Right now, we’re letting a lot of the legal system play out. We’re letting some of the legislation play out. But I truly believe that at a certain point in time, hopefully within the next several months, we are going to see some level of movement.”
Harvard University last week refused to comply with a list of demands from the Department of Education, which included elimination of its DEI programs, according to the Associated Press. In response, the Trump administration froze more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts with the university.
Reversing the long-term effects of bigotry requires structural change, beyond simply acknowledging the problem, Hill said. “On paper, yes, everyone would say that, yes, racism, is wrong. But in reality, the work that it requires to root out racism, to root out homophobia — a lot of people are not willing to put in that type of resource and work,” he said.
DEI is not about hiring unqualified people, indoctrination, or making white people feel bad about themselves, Hill explained, addressing common anti-DEI talking points. He also said many people push back on the initiatives due to fear of change or questioning faith. DEI efforts aim to create a fair playing field for all, he said.
“At home, most of us feel this connection — we feel valued, loved, respected. So wouldn’t it be great if we were to come to work every single day in this institution felt like home?” Hill said.
UMass Boston is the third most diverse campus in the United States, according to the university’s website. 65% of students are people of color. Hill said the university’s diversity prepares students for post-graduation endeavors as they will run into people of all different backgrounds.
“Where do we go from here? I wish I had the answers. And I would say that part of the reason that our college universities have been really silent is because I don’t think anyone knows. You heard me say earlier that we are abiding right now by state law and federal law. We are not breaking any laws. We are doing business as usual,” Hill said.
