DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PLAN

On May 23, the UNC System Board of Governors voted 22 to 2 to repeal its DEI policy and replace it with one called “Equality Within the University of North Carolina,” which does not mention race at all and mentions commitments to nondiscrimination, viewpoint equality and freedom of expression. It also includes a clause on “maintaining institutional neutrality,” which requires university employees to refrain from voicing opinions on “social policy” or “political controversies of the day.”

The Alvarez Administration’s vision is committed to building a more inclusive student government from day one, driving progress toward a campus where all students feel valued, heard, and represented. This DEI plan is centered on improving the internal policies of the Executive Branch and the programming it can run—changes that would mean a lot and be fully led by our administration, while working alongside the Undergraduate Senate for support and funding.

1. Strengthening Representation in Student Government

The establishment of the Student Organizations Board of Representatives (SOBR), will ensure that student organizations, especially those representing historically marginalized communities, have a direct line of communication and a stronger relationship with student government.
- The implementation of this board will allow for:
  - The creation of a DEI Advisory Council composed of student leaders from underrepresented backgrounds and the invitation of faculty interested in engaging in DEI-related conversations to advise the administration on policies affecting diverse communities.
  - A strong line of communication for administration-sponsored decisions and policies, such as heavy police presence on campus, changes to building accessibility due to campus events, and other instances that might after different communities around campus.

2. EXPANDING CULTURAL PROGRAMMING AND SUPPORT

Our administration will partner with cultural and identity-based organizations, such as the Black Student Movement, the Muslim Student Association, Mi Pueblo, the Asian American Student Association, the Southeast Asian Student Association, and others to increase student government-sponsored cultural events, workshops, and celebrations to increase joint programming efforts to support the official programming affected by the administrative changes to DEI.

We will work with the Office of Management and Budget to establish a portion of the Executive Branch budget as a Cultural Programming Fund, making it easier for student organizations to access funding for events that promote diversity and cross-cultural understanding with the wider university community that can be co-sponsored by the Executive Branch.

We will develop a student government campus-wide DEI summit featuring student leaders, faculty, and guest speakers to discuss critical issues and best practices for increasing inclusion around campus.

3. Strengthening Representation in Student Government

Create a DEI feedback portal where students can share concerns, experiences, and suggestions regarding the practices of our administration that are directly managed by the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Office of the Student Body President.

Launch an inclusive outreach campaign to engage students from all backgrounds are able to obtain student government positions, ensuring our administration remains representative of the entire student body in factors such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, major and academic interest, and others.

Host bi-monthly town halls focusing on specific DEI-related topics to provide students with a platform to voice their concerns and propose solutions on improving practices for DEI support, understanding that university policies are in constant change and this can affect students differently throughout the academic year.

4. INSTITUTIONALIZING DEI IN POLICY AND PRACTICE

Advocate for the creation of a DEI training available to all student organization leaders and student government representatives to improve inclusive practices across the organizations that students from all backgrounds have a membership in.
- The aim of this training will be to create more inclusive environments within student groups by raising awareness of potential biases, promoting respectful communication, and providing strategies to actively address issues of inequity within their activities and decision-making processes.

Push for more transparent and equitable funding policies to ensure that all student organizations, regardless of size or affiliation, have equal access to university resources.

Reach out to faculty to support curriculum diversification efforts to advocate for academic content to include more perspectives from underrepresented communities, as individual decisions made by a professor are excluded from the DEI ban.