One state that should welcome DEI classroom discussions is my Sweet Home Alabama

Alabama recently passed a bill that will ban college DEI programs and trainings. We are not the first state to do so, but having worked at both the University of Alabama and now Auburn University, this one hit one close to home. While there are opinions about what the bill will do, why it was legislated, and how it will be enforced, there are facts about the value of diversity in education, and so anything to potentially stifle that is not a good thing.

The evidence is clear: students benefit from a diverse classroom. And it’s not just the underrepresented groups, the benefits accrue to the entire student body. Diversity builds confidence and creativity, enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, strengthens leadership skills, and makes for happier, more motivated students. In addition, students in diverse classrooms are better prepared for the workforce because their college experience ‘better reflects the real world’. As an instructor of college seniors, my priority is to help students find that first full-time job post-graduation. Logically, it would follow that I want a diverse environment for my students. This includes age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, ability, religion, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, thought, perspectives, etc. However, given the Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action last year, much of the current debate is focused on race.

Faculty are not heavily involved in the admissions or recruitment process, and therefore, the composition of our student body is largely out of our control. And while we can encourage students to enroll in our courses, there are obvious limitations on our ability to diversify our classrooms. Teaching in the business school at both Alabama and Auburn, that means I have spent my career with mostly white students.

Over the years, universities have addressed this through DEI trainings. Like many educators, I have implemented techniques to try and build awareness and create space for dialogue. In one training, the presenter simply recommended expanding the images we used in our visual presentations. This was years ago when, if you conducted a Google image search for “business meeting,” the top page of results was all white men shaking hands. The message was that by including people of color in the slideshow, the people of color in the classroom would feel included (Read more about the mere exposure effect). In a positive development, a similar search in 2024 returns a much different collage of images.
 
Another activity I built into my curriculum is an open discussion on the first day of class about implicit biases. I ask if they unknowingly make judgments about me based on inherent characteristics (e.g., I have six siblings and was born way back in the 1900s) as well as characteristics I chose (e.g., I worked at the University of Alabama and am a rabid Star Wars fan…these get boos and laughs from my Auburn Tigers, respectively). Some students open up, others do not. But it always evolves into a meaningful discussion for at least some students.

Under this new bill, that DEI training which equipped me with these techniques to engage students will no longer be allowed in the state. The bill will not prevent faculty from hosting DEI discussions—as long as they do not use state money. As a university employee, my classroom discussions are technically funded by the state. Is this a professional risk worth taking? 
 
Are DEI trainings perfect? No. Are DEI trainings uncomfortable? Yes—and that’s the point. I do not “teach” DEI. Rather, I invite students to get uncomfortable with me. As teachers, we constantly push our students out of their comfort zones to spark positive change. We urge them to engage in intentional learning opportunities because the classroom is the ideal environment for stretch mistakes. In my class, we role play job interviews because it is better to mess up with a fellow student than a potential employer. I would argue it is also beneficial to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom where the stakes are relatively low compared to the “real world.” That is one of the great advantages to higher education: experiential learning with real-time feedback from someone who genuinely wants you to succeed. This is how progress is made.
 
So where does this leave university faculty and staff in the Yellowhammer state? Personally, I am reluctant to revisit my implicit biases discussion next semester, which is a shame. We know diversity is both beneficial to and desired by the companies where my students want to get jobs. So, in a classroom lacking racial diversity, my alterative was to talk about it—perhaps to even challenge my students to think about why it does not exist in our classroom. Now that is a conversation that is as uncomfortable as it is necessary.

Make no mistake, I love my state. On two separate occasions, I have made the choice to move here and start a life with my family. I feel attached to—and proud of—both universities, and I even say y’all without trying. When you love something, you want to make it better, and if there is one state that should welcome classroom discussions of racial diversity and DEI initiatives, it is my Sweet Home Alabama.