Tensions were high Thursday morning at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting in Tucson.
Students and staff at the state’s public universities spoke out ahead of a vote to scrub board policies of words like diversity and affirmative action.
Sixteen people signed up for public comment, many of them students of color or LGBTQ+ students who said they feel unsupported by their universities amid the Trump administration’s anti diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) rhetoric.
Eddie Barrón is a senior and student body senator at the University of Arizona.
“Even as courts around the country reject these attacks, you’ve chosen to move forward anyway," Barrón said. "You’ve chosen to not fight for us.”
Several UA students touched on the school’s recent decision to combine its cultural centers into one hub. Barrón said the centers are a lifeline for 28,000 students.
“Each one is existing for a distinct purpose," Barrón said. "They are tailored to the different histories, identities and lived experiences. These spaces aren’t interchangeable, they’re not redundant.”
UA spokesperson Mitch Zak told KJZZ the hub will "continue to provide resources, programs and services in support of all our students, whose success is our priority."
"This is the first step in a collaborative process," Zak said, "to engage the community to not just replicate existing services but to see how we can improve them and do more."
UA professor Anna Cooper was unconvinced.
“ABOR is here today to vote on completely erasing terms like diversity and minority from university policies," Cooper said. "They do not value the incredible diversity of our students nor have any intention to support them.”
In response, ABOR sent the following statement to KJZZ:
“We appreciate the input from our community as we work to comply with the laws that govern us. The largest portion of Arizona public university budgets — built to serve over 250,000 students and 30,000 employees — comes from the federal government.
The policy updates remove outdated references to revoked federal requirements. It also more clearly describes the board’s continued compliance with laws prohibiting discrimination and our ongoing commitment to providing college access to all Arizona students.”
