Missouri State students protest for removal of president after university scraps DEI
Students in Springfield, Missouri have protested the end to their school’s DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) practices, including calling for the removal of the university president.
Demonstrators represented student groups such as Planned Parenthood Generation Action, the Young Communist League and 'Melaqueer.'
Students at a public university in Springfield, Missouri have protested the end to their school’s DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) practices, including calling for the removal of the university president.
On Jan. 29, Missouri State University announced it was discontinuing all of its DEI programs, including the closing of the Office of Inclusive Engagement and canceling the Collaborative Diversity Conference and Inclusive Excellence Awards Gala.
[RELATED: Alabama professor and students sue to overturn anti-DEI state law]
The move was done in response to “changes nationwide and anticipated actions regarding DEI at the state level,” according to the university.
“As a university, we value diverse thought and actions and support all our students, faculty and staff,” Missouri State President Richard Williams said in a statement. “However, 38% of our budget comes from the state. For us to continue providing a quality education to our students, we must align with the requirements laid out by state leadership.”
In 2023, the institution reversed several DEI policies, such as eliminating diversity statements from job applications, ending a “streamlined” hiring process for “diverse faculty and staff candidates,” and removing certain scholarship requirements related to race and sex.
In response to the changes, about 50 students participated in a protest outside of Carrington Hall to support DEI, as reported by The Standard. Several student organizations reportedly featured the event on Instagram, writing, “We must fight back! Join us and other coalition partners in building a movement to stop attacks on minority students and faculty!”
Demonstrators represented student groups such as Planned Parenthood Generation Action, the Young Communist League and “Melaqueer.”
The protesters reportedly chanted phrases such as, “When students’ rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back. When education is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.”
[RELATED: Dept. of Education rolls back DEI under new Trump executive orders]]
The Standard reports that student demands included President Williams’ removal, and for state legal protections for DEI.
“This attack on education is not just MSU, it’s Missouri as a whole,” one activist reportedly stated. “Yes, we (expletive) hate Biff, but nationally, there are attacks on our wages, on our scholarships and our protections both as students and people living in the United States.”
Campus Reform has reached out to Missouri State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
