The Northwest Missourian is an independent student-run newspaper with a primary responsibility to our readers: the students, faculty, staff and alumni at Northwest; members of the Maryville community; and those residing in Nodaway County. We dedicate our time each week to make sure our readers stay up to date.
Northwest’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion has been dissolved, according to an email sent to Northwest faculty and staff 4 p.m. Feb. 3 by University President Lance Tatum. This is a decision that affects the student body, including our staff Please remember through these emotional and tense times that we are students too.
This being said, the First Amendment rights of students in attendance of a discussion held in the former office Feb. 4 might have been violated. The main purpose of this meeting was to inform students about next steps and what the dissolving of the office may look like — important information everyone affected wants to know.
However, our staff in attendance was asked to leave and told the meeting would be closed. This is unacceptable and a blatant violation of our First Amendment rights. This meeting was advertised to student groups, but every Northwest student was welcome to attend — except for Missourian staff. As journalists, we have a right to cover any meeting held at a public institution, particularly one at an office funded by student fees. Based on accounts of students in attendance, participants were advised not to speak to our staff We want students, including our staff members, to be aware of their rights.
No one is required to speak to the Missourian, and we would not force them to. However, administrators blatantly not allowing anyone associated with our publication to attend the meeting and forbidding students to make their voices heard is illegal. Students were so afraid to talk to us while we stood asking for interviews; we were repeatedly told “I’m not comfortable with that.” By the time the meeting was over no one would look us in the eyes, and many hostile expressions were thrown at us. At this point, few students would even stop walking to hear what we had to say. Again, no one is required to talk to us, but professionals scaring students into silence is unacceptable.
The Missourian is a platform for all students to speak their truth and give a voice to the voiceless. Our publication reaches national audiences, including state representatives who impacted this decision. We are not your enemy. We are here to represent the student body and issues impacting you. Let us do our duty to you as our readers.
As the media leaders of the Missourian, we speak on behalf of our publication when we say we are crushed at the treatment of our staff doing their jobs. We would not be the award-winning paper we are if we let this go unreported. Please email northwestmissourian@gmail.com if you have any questions or wish to make a statement regarding this issue.
STUDENT
PROTESTS 2/7 AND 2/8
Northwest sophomores Bella Comparato, Jay Messenger and Christopher Morris dance to music while protesting the dissolution of the Northwest Office of Diversity and Inclusion Feb. 7. Messenger organized the protest which occurred Feb. 7 and 8.
NATHAN NODA ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest junior Noah Cornelius joins the ODI protest Feb. 7, holding a sign. The dissolution is a part of the University’s academic restructuring initiative.
Northwest freshman Jadon Ansel writes a message in chalk on the sidewalk in front of the Administration Building Feb. 8.
Northwest freshman Milo Graves gets kisses from a dog passing by during the protest Feb. 7. The protest was planned on YikYak and other social media.
Students protest outside of the Administration Building Feb. 7. Tatum announced the dissolution of the ODI in an email Feb. 3 to faculty and staff.
NATHAN NODA ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
NATHAN VANDRUFF PHOTOGRAPHER
NATHAN NODA ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
DAKOTA OSWALT NEWS EDITOR
Office of Diversity and Inclusion dissolves
ANNA BAILEY Asst. News Editor | @AmBailey16
The week following an email sent by University President Lance Tatum, which noted the Office of Diversity and Inclusion would be dissolved, was filled with unanswered questions and concerned students.
Northwest senior Lili Bryant is one of the students who has expressed this. She also serves on Student Senate, and later expressed her concerns in the Student Senate meeting Feb. 11.
As the news broke that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion was to be dissolved, Bryant posted a comment on Facebook. As a student ambassador, she said this office is proudly showcased on school tours, and the decision to dissolve it does not represent the students or what they want.
“Please do better Northwest, listen to your students and give us the respect to address our concerns,” Bryant said in the comment. “We deserve answers.”
Tatum announced the dissolution at 4 p.m. Feb. 3 in an email addressed only to faculty and staff. He said this decision aligns with the academic restructuring Northwest is undergoing.
“Our focus at Northwest is now and will always be on student success, but as higher education evolves, we must also evolve so our students have every opportunity to realize their dreams,” Tatum said in the email.
Tatum was unavailable for an interview with the Missourian at the time of this publication.
Following this announcement, word quickly got out to students. The full email was published by KCTV5 Feb. 4.
Communication Manager for Northwest Mark Hornickel said prior to the email being sent, Tatum met with Northwest Leadership Team members and Assistant Vice President of Institutional Excellence and Global Engagement Shay Malone, whose former title was the Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.
In an email sent Feb. 10 by Tatum to students, faculty and staff, he said Malone will play a significant role in the future of Northwest. Tatum said Malone will continue in her position to lead initiatives to support students.
Both Malone and Latonya Davis Harrison, coordinator of diversity and inclusion, have declined an interview with the Missourian. Hornickel said the office’s removal should have little effect on the University.
“Northwest intends to not only
maintain the programs and activities those staff members already coordinate, but enhance them and broaden our support for underrepresented students, including first-generation students, international students and other student groups,” Hornickel said.
The office known up to this point as the ODI will, moving forward, be referred to as the Center for Global Engagement. This name change has been updated on the Northwest website and social media platforms.
Tatum said in the Student Senate meeting Feb., 11 there will be no effect on students currently earning diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships.
“We’ve already had to go through a review of all our scholarships,” Tatum said. “We’ve already made corrections in those areas so that they’re not a threat, but there shouldn’t be any change in scholarship awards, at least from the institution.”
Tatum said the dissolution will also have no effect on the DEI minor available at Northwest as well as all accessibility offices such as Title IX and The Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines on campus. Student-led organizations will also not be impacted.
Bryant, also a Student Senate inclusion rep., said, during this meeting, the biggest frustration for students is the lack of communication.
“As an (student) ambassador, we were told not to refer to that space as ODI anymore,” Bryant said. “So there was immediate change without students being notified.”
These changes could be due to House Bill 742, proposed by Missouri Rep. Ben Baker. This bill outlines how state departments will no longer be authorized to spend money on DEI initiatives.
However, Northwest’s ODI was funded by the Campus Climate Fee, which is issued to students alongside tuition. Tatum said at the meeting these funds will still go towards the programs provided by the Center for Global Engagement.
Hornickel said the changes being made are aimed to continue success at Northwest — as was similarly said in President Tatum’s original email. Hornickel said the goal is to provide broader, enhanced student support services.
“To students who may be upset by these decisions, don’t be deterred,” Hornickel said. “Northwest remains focused on its mission to educate all students from all backgrounds to help them achieve their goals and be successful on whatever path they choose.”
Academic restructuring causes campus change
DAKOTA
OSWALT News Editor | @doswalt_NWMSRN
When faculty received an email in the late afternoon Feb. 3 about the University’s academic restructuring, some were shocked to see the dissolution of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion buried near the bottom.
The announcement has been met with tense meetings, a weekend of protests and assumptions it’s a preemptive measure due to state and national government attitudes toward diversity, equity and inclusion. University President Lance Tatum maintained in a subsequent email Feb. 10 it’s a part of a planned academic realignment that reimagines the way the administration supports students.
At the time of this publication, Tatum was unavailable for an interview and Northwest Provost Jamie Hooyman declined an interview with the Missourian.
“I know the news regarding the academic realignment and and Inclusion has been the topic of many conversations over the past week,” Tatum said in the second email. “We know this has been a challenging and emotional decision for many, and we truly appreciate your passion for students. I want everyone to know that the welfare and support of our students, faculty and our decision-making.”
Tatum’s message Feb. 10 said there has been a lot of attention surrounding the topic of DEI recently at both state and national levels. After speaking with peers in higher education, Northwest found the transition was inevitable.
As the University undergoes these changes, Tatum said its priority is to uphold its core mission of educating students while advancing an environment that supports their degree attainment and career readiness.
“As we look to the future, my vision is to transition the current DEI model to one that broadens our scope of support for all students while remaining mindful of the needs of our underserved populations,” Tatum said in the second email. “Our intention is to wrap our arms around all students, providing a wide range of services that extend from academic learning to extracurricular activities.”
Tatum said Northwest is committed to ensuring student needs will be continually supported.
Throughout the semester, Tatum said programs and activities will continue in the former ODI space, which will now be called the Center for Global Engagement. He also said the ODI
Mark Hornickel, the communication manager for Northwest, said Tatum’s email message Feb. 3 was directed only to faculty andgoing preliminary discussions about the academic restructuring.
“The academic restructurwest expects it to go into effect in July,” Hornickel said in an email to the Missourian. “As President Tatum outlined, all of Northwest’s current academic departments will be renamed as ‘schools’ and soon begin operating within four ‘colleges,’ each led by a dean.’”
The academic restructure was made known to faculty at the Academic Affairs meeting Aug. 21, 2024. At the meeting, Hooyman said she hoped a restructure would be approved by the Board of Regents and set in place by Fall 2025.
Hooyman said the academic restructure will focus on how the University can better serve its students. Similarly, Tatum said in his email Northwest is transitioning to a model that broadens its holistic approach to student achievement.
At the Fall 2024 Academic the current academic structure, which has been in place since 2016, is outdated. Hornickel said this new academic restructure will be more similar to how it was prior to 2016.
We know this has been a challenging and emotional decision for many, and we truly appreciate your passion for students."
LANCE TATUM UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT “
An academic restructure is a reassessment of the way an ed-ments not operating as professional schools like the other six. These departments include: Fine and Performing Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Language, Literature and Writing, Mathematics and Statistics, and Natural Sciences. Together, these departments currently act as the College of Arts and Sciences under one dean, Elise Hepworth.
A professional school, however, is defined as an institution that prepares students for careers in their respective fields. With the restructure, the 11 collective schools will be sorted under four colleges, and Hornickel said each college will have a dean who reports directly to Hooyman.
“In many ways, the academic restructure announced on Monday (Feb. 3) returns Northwest to the structure it had in place before the current academic structure was implemented in 2016, and it is a structure that is more common throughout the higher education landscapes,” Hornickel said.
The academic system in place before 2016 was implemented in 2012 by former University President John Jasinski. Upon putting it in place, Northwest laid 19 academic departments to the current 11, according to KBIA.
The 2016 academic restruclege into separate professional schools. These included the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business, the School of Communication and Mass Media and the School of Agricultural Sciences.
Hornickel said the University was made aware that the current structure created barriers for departments and students. The goals of the revised structure are to enhance communication and collaboration between those roles and responsibilities of each and better cultivate external support and partnerships.
As for the ODI’s dissolution, Tatum said in his Feb. 10 email students with concerns and frustrations should not feel deterred. He also said the University remains focused on its mission to promote student success no matter what path they choose to follow.
“As we navigate the rapidly changing environment of high education, be assured that my attention remains on student success and student engagement,” Tatum said in the email. “However, change is necessary to protect our (Northwest’s) autonomy and ensure Northwest remains focused on its mission to educate all students from all backgrounds.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MAKAYLA BYROM MISSOURIAN DESIGNER
You can’t question me about who I love
FARNAN Missourian Columnist @TheMissourian
I’m gay.
It’s a sentence I’ve been saying for years. Coming out is a natural part of our community’s existence. Something we have to do for the rest of our lives. A way of explaining who I’m attracted to forever.
The questions are the most annoying part. I understand not comprehending something you don’t have to experience, but truthfully just shut up. I don’t ask the ins and outs of your straight experience; please don’t ask the ins and outs of mine.
You think you’re being nice — or maybe you don’t — when in reality it’s just weird.
“Are you sure?”
Yes, I am very sure of my sexuality, thank you for your concern.
“Have you been with the right guy yet?”
OK. Odd phrasing there but first off, again, it is none of your concern; and secondly, I don’t see your perfect person standing next to you so maybe you aren’t the one to be preaching about finding the ‘right’ person.
“Do you know you’re going to Hell?”
Wow — that’s just an insane question to ask someone.
These are three of the many questions I get every single time I’ve come out.
Every. Single. Time. Maybe it’s different because I grew up in the Midwest. I was born and raised in a tiny town that’s only claim to fame is the college that exists there — I am a townie, shh don’t tell anyone.
Growing up in Maryville wasn’t some fairy tale all the old men at Gray’s Truck Stop want you to believe it is. It’s hard. Especially as a queer woman. The jokes, the barriers, the underlying need to always get out of your hometown before you suffocate — sorry, that’s a whole other column.
I’m tired of the questions. I am so sick of people thinking they have a right to know who I want to spend my time with. You don’t.
What I want is to be able to live my life without the fear of being hate-crimed, being dragged through the mud because of whom I love.
I want to live without the paralyzing dread that I will lose the right to marry someone before I find her.
I want to have normal dates. I want to hold hands without being ogled.
I want to exist like every other person on earth, but I will never get that freedom. I think the hardest thing about being gay is I will live my life being treated as if I’m not deserving of love.
Being gay is not a choice because no one would choose this.
But we are gay despite it all. We’ve always been here. The parades, the rainbows, the glitter and everything in between. It’s us screaming that we won’t go away. We will exist in the face of it all.
I want to be normal — and that’s the root of the problem.
My existence will never be normal to people who don’t understand. The people who are too ignorant or hateful to try and understand — they will spend their existence as though it’s their mission to destroy my lifestyle. It’s what I and all other queer people have to deal with. So the least you owe me is to stop asking the stupid questions.
Communication is necessary; don’t keep us in the dark
Diversity, equity and inclusion are nonnegotiable. Those are not three words thrown together for fun. They mean something. What do they mean? An ABCNews article states: “DEI initiatives are intended to address and correct discriminatory policies or practices that may be found within an organization, according to Tina Opie, a DEI consultant and professor at Babson College.”
No, this doesn’t just mean race or ethnicity; there is so much that fits under the umbrella term DEI. Gender, disability, age and many other traits are under DEI. Most — if not all — of us on this campus are a ff ected by it one way or another.
Northwest’s decision to dissolve the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is failing every student who uses that space or the resources it brings.
Yes, the office has been renamed to the Center for Global Engagement and the programs within the office still exist, but it’s the principle of the whole issue. Diversity, equity and inclusion are words that need to exist and we can’t stop using them. We can’t come up with a new vocabulary because some government officials are offended by DEI.
There are four bills in Missouri directly attacking DEI — Senate Bill 680, Senate Bill 56, Senate Bill 1125 and House Bill 2619 — and funding would probably be affected if Northwest kept its ODI. We understand that even though our ODI
is funded through student fees, it could cause issues for other funds. The Editorial Board is not shifting blame onto anyone at Northwest, we’re upset it has come to this.
However, the days of silence following the announcement are unacceptable. Students deserve transparency and an understanding of why the decision was made. We are paying to be here, don’t leave us in the dark.
The student body has more questions than answers right now, and someone has to answer them. Students weren’t supposed to find out when they did, but the news is out — even if it wasn’t supposed to be. A vague email — excluding students — is not the way to make this announcement, but the damage is done and all we can ask is for communication. It has become a tense time on campus and students are still waiting for answers. The Missourian hopes to be able to provide additional information, but there is still a lot to discuss.
The email University President Lance Tatum sent Feb. 10, is a start, but we still need more. This isn’t an issue that can be solved with one email or one conversation — it’s going to take a while.
The Editorial Board only represents nine Northwest students, so please listen to other students and what they have to say. We have included several responses to the dissolving of the ODI in this week’s issue.
BROOKLYN
“I am a student of diversity and also received scholarships for being a student of diversity, and I feel it’s very important to have diversity and inclusion, and my major is inclusion with disabilities. I feel like all of these are very important to a lot of different people.”
“I found out about it in a group chat, and I didn’t know what was going on at first. I was like ‘dang that’s tragic.’ Some people think it’s just for black people, but it’s not true. It’s for everybody. I feel like it’s a pretty open place for people to really come together and get to know one another.”
“I honestly haven’t heard much about it. I think we should keep it, it sounds like a big part of a lot of people’s success here at this school. A lot of people probably wouldn’t feel like they fit in here without that program.”
“I’ve seen a lot of people personally blaming Tatum. I believe with what Trump is pushing, he’s literally saying we could lose federal funding if we don’t get rid of it. I completely understand why Tatum did it, because we could lose a bunch of scholarships. We would lose a lot of funding, and that would lead to such loss; but at the same time DEI was such a wonderful place, and brought a lot of opportunities, and I’m really sad to see it go.”
Northwest is an inclusive and welcoming campus — unless you’re with the Northwest Missourian.
Going into journalism, I knew journalists weren’t the world’s favorite people, but I didn’t think it would affect me so soon.
This intense time on campus and the dissolving of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has opened my eyes to the stigma surrounding journalists — even student journalists.
I am a minority student, who is directly impacted by the decision being made with the ODI. It hurts to know I would not be welcome in a meeting and space all because I am a part of a particular organization.
I’m not talking about this to start drama, I am just sharing my experience — which I have the right to or do I have to remind everyone of the First Amendment again?
I am a 20-year-old student being treated like an enemy because I am a part of the Missourian. It is our job to report on the truth and since I have been a part of the paper, that’s what we have done.
Journalism is a dangerous profession, with over 1,600 being killed since 1993, according to United Nations. Northwest is supposed to be a safe learning experience for me before I am out working in my real career. I am prepared for a career of hate, but I didn’t think it would start before I was actually in my profession.
Being a part of the Missourian has changed my life. I had no idea what I wanted to do before I became a news reporter. Since then I have worked my way up in the ranks, falling more and more in love with the idea of being a writer.
I don’t want my school to be a part of the community that tears down journalists. Journalism is essential to gaining accurate information. I understand in this current age, that can be muffled with some media outlets taking strong stances on issues — particularly political ones. However, the Missourian has never done this in our reporting; our opinion page is a separate part of our content and purely opinion-based.
I have done nothing but represent and be involved in the University. I am a student ambassador, SOAR leader and involved in several organizations outside the Missourian. I have always loved this University — I wish I could feel it in return. Journalists are people too, and empathy can’t be a lost trait. Imagine how my staff and I feel right now when all we’re doing is our jobs — while still being students at Northwest — and we’re constantly being vilified. I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again — we have the right to information and compassion as much as anyone else on this campus. We are bound to make mistakes and upset people — it comes with the territory — and I know this column will upset a few, but it needed to be said. Don’t forget your basic human decency and remember we are no different from you, we just
LUCI DIAZ
JACKSON ARNOLD Freshman Exercise Science
KATIE SAUTER Freshman Social Studies Education
DEANGELO HARRISON Freshman
Student journalists asked to leave ODI meeting
Every student journalist has a duty to provide readers with accurate, timely and ethical information — a task the Missourian staff frequently executes.
An informational meeting for students about the dissolving of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion was held 1:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in the space previously used for the ODI, now known as the Center for Global Engagement. The meeting was meant to answer questions and discuss the next steps.
Assistant Vice President of Institutional Excellence and Global Engagement Shay Malone, former assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion, said the Feb. 4 meeting was a closed one.
“It was sent to a closed student program, and from there, students shared the time and location,” Malone said in an email
to the Missourian. “The professional staff did not advertise this as an open meeting, and no advertisements were made.”
At the beginning of the meeting, a Missourian photographer attempted to attend the meeting so the publication could obtain correct and updated information for readers. Upon entrance, they were told the meeting would be closed, so they left.
Students were able to freely walk in and out of the meeting, regardless of if they were in the original group that received the meeting information. Several students were notified of the meeting through other organizations, such as Student Senate, or heard about it from friends. The only students asked to leave were members of the Missourian staff. By allowing students not in the original group to participate, the meeting would have to be considered open. Barring student journalists from attend-
ing is in direct violation of the First Amendment — freedom of the press.
The Center of Global Engagement is not considered a public body and is not required to follow open meeting laws, including the Sunshine Law. However, the department must still abide by the First Amendment.
The Missourian spoke with Senior Legal Counsel at the Student Press Law Center Mike Hiestand about laws regarding closed meetings.
“The law absolutely prevents school officials from holding a meeting open to all students except for students who also happen to be student journalists,” Hiestand said in an email to the Missourian. “The First Amendment is not optional. It’s clearly time for N(W)MSU administrators to take a free speech refresher course.”
A Missourian reporter was stationed outside the Center for Global Engagement short-
ly after with the intent to interview students leaving the meeting. However, students politely declined to share their opinions on the matter.
A source who requested to stay anonymous attended the Feb. 4 meeting. They said participants were told not to talk to the Missourian staff. Malone denied this claim.
“At no time did the professional staff tell students not to speak with the Missourian,” Malone said. All students associated with the Missourian were asked to leave the meeting.
“She (Malone) asked if anybody was here with the Missourian, then said ‘Be honest, because you can exit stage left,’” Anonymous said.
They said participants also discussed calling the University Police Department on the Missourian staff member waiting outside of the office. However, it is a student journalist’s job to cover monumental events, specifically ones that take place on their campus and affect their readers.
The Student Press Law Center released statements amid protests unfolding on college campuses related to the Gaza-Israel conflicts. Executive Director Gary Green said SPLC stands with student journalists providing this type of coverage.
The First Amendment is not optional. It’s clearly time for N(W)MSU adminstrators to take a free speech refresher course.”
MIKE HIESTAND SENIOR LEGAL COUNSEL, STUDENT PRESS LAW CENTER
“Student journalists must not be attacked or threatened with arrest or disciplinary action for merely doing their jobs,” Green said in the statement. “We urge administrators and law enforcement to work directly with student journalists to ensure they can safely and responsibly report on the historic events unfolding across the country.”
As new information regarding the dissolving of the ODI is released, the Missourian will continue to update and inform its readers.
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INFOGRAPHIC BY SAVANNAH ATHY-SEDBROOK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SOURCE: MISSOURI SENATE, MISSOURI HOUSE, INSIDE HIGHER ED, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
Northwest alumni react to ODI dissolution decision
DAKOTA OSWALT News Editor | @doswalt_NWMSRN
After the dissolution of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion became known, multiple Northwest alumni publicly shared mixed reactions, with some ceasing their donations to the University as a direct result.
Jerry Houghton is a 1979 graduate of Northwest. He said there were groups for minority populations on campus, but diversity, equity and inclusion was not as open or cultivated as it is now.
“It was very much more of a concept and an ideal than practice,” Houghton said.
Houghton said society is divided, specifically in ethnic and racial circumstances. He said this might have been intensified with the shift in U.S. presidential power.
As for the future of Northwest in the long run, Houghton said it might impact alumni donations.
“This could really hurt their contributing…because that’s one thing that’s kept Northwest so viable is the strong support of their alumni,” Houghton said. “Northwest is…the strongest college in northern Missouri because of its alumni support, and I would hate to see that diminished by this.”
Bryan Waits graduated from the University in 1985. He regards Northwest as a great institution.
He said he thinks the concept of DEI starts out with high ideals, but they never seem to get realized.
“They (DEI initiatives) start out hoping to overcome some of the issues that America…and Missouri and Northwest and even families have experienced such as racism or exclusion, but they end up excluding and using racism to their advantage,” Waits said. “And I’m against racism in all ways, shapes or forms.”
When it comes to offices like the ODI, Waits said merit, talent and ability should be enough to get people where they need to go. He said it shouldn’t be the job of taxpayers or the University to provide that help to students. However, the ODI does
not rely on state funding.
He said he finds it hard to believe students who have been accepted into Northwest would have a difficult time finding resources.
“First of all, I didn’t realize that there even was an office there, an ODI office,” Waits said. “So when it was being disbanded, I was happy to hear it.”
“
Northwest is…the strongest college in northern Missouri because of its alumni support, and I would hate to see that diminished by this.”
JERRY HOUGHTON
NORTHWEST GRADUATE
Lately, some companies and organizations have doubled down on maintaining their DEI programs. The NFL and Costco are two examples. Waits said these are great decisions for private institutions to make for themselves, but he doesn’t think public entities should be forced to uphold them.
Overall, Waits thinks anyone who is qualified and up to the task can make it at Northwest.
“There were several students when I was a freshman all the way through senior (year), who had come from other nations, and they were welcome there,” Waits said. “I don’t remember anybody having a hard time at Northwest because of their race, their religion, their background, and those were some tough times.”
One person, who wishes to remain anonymous, graduated from the University in 2019. They worked closely alongside the ODI.
Seeing how Northwest cared
about DEI prompted Anonymous to donate to the University after graduating.
Dissolving the ODI, Anonymous said, feels like a step backward. While they think federal and state funding cuts are a potential reason for this, Anonymous said they wish there were ways Northwest could be more creative in raising money for the ODI.
“It was heartbreaking to know that Northwest did this on their own accord,” Anonymous said. “I know federal laws, federal executive orders are coming down, but a lot of those are being challenged. A lot of those are resulting in states suing the federal government, suing the current president (Donald Trump), to try to get that rolled back so they don’t get taken into place.”
Anonymous said taking DEI initiatives tells people in marginalized groups they don’t matter.
“If institutions aren’t willing to stand up to not only the federal government but state governments…I just don’t think there’s a place for that anymore in a world that’s demanding people be treated equally,” Anonymous said.
In the long term, Anonymous said a vast majority of students want to go places where their identities will be represented.
Before Anonymous decides to donate again, they want to see plans in place for how the ODI programming will be upheld.
An email sent by Northwest President Lance Tatum Feb. 10 said no employees in the ODI will lose their jobs. It said programming from the office formerly known as the ODI will carry on, now under the name Center of Global Engagement.
Anonymous wants people to be informed about what the ODI does before forming an opinion.
“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions in the media, and regardless of where you are politically, I just want to encourage people to do their own research and become well-informed on what a DEI office even does,” Anonymous said.
ANNA CASE CARTOONIST
SPECIAL ISSUE
ATYPICAL TUESDAY
Tatum appears at Senate meeting
Student Senate met as scheduled Tuesday evening, but this was not a normal meeting. Northwest President Lance Tatum spoke at the meeting Feb. 11 to discuss the dissolving of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Tatum began the discussion by explaining the decision behind the dissolution.
“We have been talking about the Diversity and Inclusion Office for probably the last six months,” Tatum said. “I don’t want to lose the essence of what is done in that office, but I also did not want to lose the autonomy that we had making decisions for ourselves.”
Junior Class Rep. Bucey asked Tatum to confirm her assumption that this decision was made in order to find a way to keep programming provided by the ODI while adhering to state legislation. Tatum confirmed this assumption was correct.
Bucey also asked Tatum to provide information about what the University’s programs will look like moving forward.
“Could you provide some specific examples on what will change, will no longer be in place, and what exactly puts the University in this situation?” Bucey said.
Tatum said he will not yet share any plans
to avoid disappointment if changes are made. He said one discussed idea is to change events, such as those that celebrate heritage months, to become student-led, rather than led by the newly named Center for Global Engagement.
Tatum said the function of the Center for Global Engagement is important. He also said staff who work in the office are secure in their employment.
A plan is not yet finalized. However, Tatum said Shay Malone, assistant vice president of institutional excellence and global engagement, is formulating a way to reimagine the new Office of Global Engagement.
“That’s what I’ve asked Dr. Malone to do for us, is to help build a framework of what those services will look like,” Tatum said. “I am leaning heavily on her to help guide the conversation.”
Tatum said he takes responsibility for the abrupt caused by the original announcement. The morning following his email Feb. 3, he had to attend meetings in Jefferson City, leading him to be unavailable that week.
He said he recognized the timing was unfortunate. Tatum said this was something he did not plan to come out yet.
“We had been talking about it from a conceptual standpoint, I know it looks rushed, and to be honest with you, it was probably about 45 to 60 days ahead of what I had
Students plan protests against administrative removal of DEI
to ensure a successful event without causing any harm or hurt.
The protests were set for Feb. 7 and 8 by sophomore Jay Messenger, after University President Lance Tatum announced the dissolving of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Feb. 3.
The protest gathered a small crowd, with around four to 20 protesters at a time, as well as a couple of University Police Department officers.
Students’ social media were flooded with plans for a protest. Messenger said he saw someone on YikYak posting about needing to do something.
“It was way easier than I ever thought in my entire life,” Messenger said.
University Police Chief Amanda Cullin said the UPD works closely with the organizers of any protest and other campus offices.
“We have officer presence just around to ensure that everybody’s safe and everybody can express their First Amendment rights without the opportunity for violence,” Cullin said. Other law agencies were made aware of the protest as a precaution, given the possibility of civil unrest. She said the UPD wants
One student at the protest was freshman Megan Boteler, who said they were protesting because of Northwest’s decision to disband the ODI.
They said a lot of the students protesting understand the University did it due to funding.
“However, sometimes it is difficult when the school picks other stuff over us,” Boteler said. “It’s kind of that ‘Hey, maybe we should stand up against the government and say, we don’t care what you’re trying to do to us, we’re not going to allow it.’”
Boteler said it was nice to see students coming together to stand up for what they believe.
Other plans
While plans for the protest were shared on various social media platforms, another perspective was shared as well.
Several students opposed the protest with a post shared on a Northwest community Snapchat story.
“Protesting the “removal of DEI” will be ineffective. Instead protest for clarity!!” the post said. “Protesting without val-
planned to announce,” Tatum said.
Tatum said the dissolution will not affect student scholarships, student organizations or the diversity, equity and inclusion minor available at Northwest. He also said there would be no changes made to the Title IX office, The Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines on campus or other accessibility offices.
Carter Stancil, graduate student Rep., asked Tatum to describe his thoughts on continuing to bring in students within minority groups.
“What is the University’s plan to try and still convince these underrepresented people to come to our campus?” Stancil said.
Tatum said he can not yet answer that question. He said communication with incoming students has not yet been discussed.
As members of Senate asked Tatum questions, he asked everyone to give University leadership an opportunity to decipher a plan.
“What I am asking you for is just some patience to see where this is going without making a judgment today,” Tatum said.
READ MORE ONLINE A full version of this story with a closer look at Tatum’s appearance at the Student Senate meeting is available online at NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
id grounding will lead to future protest being discredited.”
President of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Denise Neal and graduate student Darren Ross appeared at the protest to speak with the students about plans other students are organizing.
“I think it’s just really important for us as students to just come together and attack this as students,” Neal said.
NAACP will be posting about the issue, mainly on Instagram.
“Without any type of ground to stand on, what his (President Lance Tatum) purpose of this was, we can’t really give back anything,” Ross said. “I do understand that frustration of not being able to retaliate because we want to retaliate…when we say there’s a lot more people than who’s standing right here, there’s a lot more people. So when we say this is about to get big, it’s going to get big.”
“I hope it doesn’t get nasty but at this point with conflicting views and everything, it could happen,” Neal said. Neal and Ross said the next step is to get answers to the questions students have. That started Friday night when a Google Doc was shared via one of the Northwest community Snapchat stories with an email addressed to Tatum. Students were instructed to mass email Tatum with the given document.
“There’s just, unfortunately, a lot of unanswered questions right now, that is the main reason why we are holding our tongues,” Ross said.
Northwest President Lance Tatum discusses details about the dissolution of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion during the Feb. 11 Student Senate meeting. Tatum stated that a plan to move
but will be announced by this summer.
ALLY JEFFRIES PHOTOGRAPHER
Northwest sophomore Jay Messenger participates in a protest he organized as a response to the dissolution of the ODI Feb. 7. The protest drew a small crowd Feb. 7 and 8, consisting of four to 20 protesters at a time.
