WE STAND UP FOR DIVERSITY FUNDING In 2012, UT students organized a week of sexual awareness and education events. After outrage and funding cuts from legislators, the Sex Week organizers were officially condemned by the state government. In 2015, UT’s Office of Diversity sent out an email to raise awareness of gender-neutral pronouns. Later in 2015, a post on the Office of Diversity’s webpage that alerted students and faculty to be conscious of religions beyond just Christianity during the holiday season was the last straw for the state legislature. In light of these posts, angry legislators threatened to cut diversity funding at UT. And those threats are now a reality. On Wednesday, March 2, the state legislators voted to amend the university’s budget and reallocate funds intended for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to UT agricultural extension services and rural outreach through the UT campuses in Chattanooga and Martin. The amendment passed unanimously. Both Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and UT System President Joe DiPietro have stated their discontent with the amendment and reaffirmed their commitment to improving diversity at the university. “Diversity is more than a social concept,” the email read. “It’s an important aspect of the academic experience and our effective operations. It’s about improving access, opportunity and engagement as we seek to prepare all of our students to live and work in a diverse global society filled with differing ideas, cultures, opinions and approaches to life.” The amendment also reads, “only federal funds shall be expended to support the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.” The problem is that UT’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion receives zero federal funding, according to Chancellor Cheek and President DiPietro in an email to the university Thursday after-
noon. “The amendment’s intent is clear and concerning. It is also important to note that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at UT Knoxville receives no federal funding,” the email pointed out. The Daily Beacon took a stance against the state’s attack on diversity last semester, and we are doing so again. The Daily Beacon officially admonishes the Tennessee state legislature for its attack on this campus’s diversity initiatives. UT students and faculty are trying to make strides in the right direction to improve diversity and inclusion on a campus that desperately needs those funds. And those who do not work, live and learn on this campus do not have the right to dictate the opportunities for those of us that do. A university should respond to the wants and expectations of its students, not to its state politicians. Students, faculty and staff at UT want a more inclusive campus environment, and their outrage deserves to be heard and acknowledged. The amended budget still needs to be approved by UT’s Board of Trustees in April, and The Daily Beacon hopes they will consider what is best for UT’s students — not politicians looking for reelection. The Editorial Board is comprised of Jenna Butz, editor-inchief, Bradi Musil, managing editor, Katrina Roberts, creative director, and Hannah Moulton, copy chief. They can be reached at newsroom@utdailybeacon.com. The views expressed in Daily Beacon editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Beacon’s editorial board and may be supposed to represent the opinion of The Daily Beacon at the time of publication. They are not necessarily representative of any individual member.
2016 EDITORIAL BOARD Jenna Butz
Bradi Musil
Katrina Roberts
Hannah Moulton
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Creative Director
Copy Chief
Volume 131 Issue 35
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Friday, March 4, 2016