Demand UCF Protect DEI

Diversity Includes All of Us—All the Time. We the students at the University of Central Florida believe in this decree made by our own Office of Access and Community Engagement, formerly known as the Ginsburg Center for Inclusion and Community Engagement. This past year our Florida legislature passed SB 266, which prohibits Florida universities from using “diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, critical race theory, or other forms of political identity filters as part of the hiring process” and prevents them from dispersing funds to programs or campus activities that “espouse diversity, equity, and inclusion or critical race theory rhetoric”. Historically, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and offices have been integrated into our institutions to actively work against systems of racism, ableism, sexism and other forms of oppression that were built into the infrastructure of our nation. We as the students of this university, understand that by centering DEI initiatives our schools are creating a more equal experience and environment for both students and staff alike.

For this reason we are asking that President Cartwright lead the University of Central Florida administration and Board of Trustees in taking action to protect those of marginalized identities both employed by and attending the university. We believe that this can be achieved by:

1) Protecting all faculty and staff employed under the Office of Access and Community Engagement and all offices and departments that work to address and work to fix the systems of oppression that marginalized communities deal with today.

2) Supporting, maintaining, and encouraging all events, programs, and activities held by the Office of Access and Community Engagement, the Office of Institutional Equity, the Office of Civil Discourse and Engagement, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success, and Student Accessibility Services (SAS) that exhibit and embrace different cultures, sexualities, religions, and backgrounds.

3) Promising to keep all partnerships both internal and external and that ensure equitable opportunities for systematically oppressed groups.

4) Making a public statement agreeing to the terms above and redeclaring a commitment to understanding and actively working against systems of oppression that historically and still statistically to this day disadvantage communities on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, disability, and religion and a promise to ensure that our students, faculty/staff, and academic programs continue to accurately reflect the equally talented and diverse communities we see around us.