AA/09/AS/25/SEC - Commitment to a Culture of Dignity, Belonging, and Safety for our Campus Community

Effective April 28, 2025

WHEREAS, on February 14, 2025, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the United States Department of Education (DoEd) released a Dear Colleague letter¹ demanding the end to all policies and activities promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion–particularly, on the basis of race–at any educational institution that receives federal financial assistance within 14 days; and

WHEREAS, this Dear Colleague letter came after repeated attacks through presidential executive orders on Immigrants and refugees; birthright citizenship; transgender existence; non-binary and gender nonconforming identities; as well as, initiatives supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion;² and

WHEREAS, although a US District Judge temporarily blocked much of the federal administrations ban on funding DEI programs on February 21, 2025, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association filed a lawsuit directly challenging the Dear Colleague letter on February 25, 2025, and the OCR of the DoEd released a FAQs document on February 25, 2025 to clarify their February 14 Dear Colleague Letter³ ; the threats upon the most vulnerable and marginalized in our nation and against initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion persist; therefore be it

RESOLVED, as a committed teaching institution, California State University, Stanislaus (Stanislaus State) recognizes that students’ sense of dignity, belonging, and safety are integral to their academic success; be it further RESOLVED, as an institution of higher learning, Stanislaus State recognizes the curricular and extracurricular importance of diverse, rigorous academic perspectives–particularlythose that have been historically and systematically marginalized–in cultivating critical thinking and discernment among our students; be it further

RESOLVED, regardless of any changes or termination of diversity, equity, and inclusionoriented programs and initiatives on our campus called upon by federal mandates, Stanislaus State commits to supporting programs and initiatives that cultivate a campus culture and multifaceted spaces where all students, staff, and faculty feel a sense of dignity, belonging, and safety–particularly those most vulnerable and threatened among us; be it further

RESOLVED, the Stanislaus State Academic Senate distribute this resolution to:
All Stanislaus State Cabinet Members
  All Stanislaus State Deans
All Stanislaus State Academic Department Chairs
  Academic Senate of the CSU (ASCSU)
  California State Student Association
California Faculty Association
  CSU Campus Academic Senate Chairs
CSU Presidents
CSU Provosts/Vice Presidents, Academic Affairs
  CSU Vice Presidents, Student Affairs
CSU Chancellor Garcia
CSU Deputy Vice Chancellor Perez
CSU Deputy Vice Chancellor Evans
  CSU Board of Trustees

¹https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-sffa-v-harvard-109506.pdf

²It is important to note that in the State of California–and, by extension, the California State University, we have been barred from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in any public employment, public education, and public contracting since the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996.

³https://www.ed.gov/media/document/frequently-asked-questions-about-racial-preferences-andstereotypes-under-title-vi-of-civil-rights-act-109530.pdf

Review History: Approved by the Academic Senate on March 25, 2025
Approved by President Britt Rios-Ellis on April 28, 2025

Senate Executive Committee Division has the primary responsibility for this policy.

Attachment(s): AA/09/AS/25/SEC Commitment to a Culture of Dignity, Belonging, and Safety for our Campus Community

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