Diversity & Inclusion at Florida State: What has been done and what we can continue to improve upon The increasing nationwide support for the Black Lives Matter movement throughout this past year has resulted in increased calls for diversity and inclusion on college campuses. Traditionally, minority students in underserved communities attend and graduate college at a much lower rate than their peers (U.S. Department of Education). In order to make progress and help minority students attend higher-level schools, it is important for these institutions to recognize the role they play in this trend and to dedicate their resources towards recruiting and supporting these underserved populations. Florida State University (FSU) has ventured to start this progress by forming the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion. One of the main initiatives of the University moving forward is to increase diversity in its student and faculty populations and support its underrepresented populations. As of now, the task force has submitted recommendations to President Thrasher including recommending the
permanent removal of the Francis Eppes statue. removing Eppes’ name from the College of Criminology, and B.K. Robert’s name from an FSU College of Law building. President Thrasher has only agreed with the sentiment behind these recommendations, and as of this publication date, only the Francis Eppes statue has been removed from campus. During the summer of 2020, an Instagram account with the username ‘Dear Florida State’ was created. This account featured anonymous statements from minority students and alumni at FSU detailing harassment, discrimination, microaggressions, and other problematic behaviors that they had witnessed or endured during their time at FSU. During the summer, two separate statements were posted calling attention to the Honors Program and its lack of diversity. One post specifically discussed how the honors colloquium lectures are “whitewashed” while another commented on the make-up of the honors staff and its students.
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