WE WON'T GO BACK - Protect DEI at Virginia Tech!
Tim Sands, President of Virginia Tech
On Tuesday March 25th, 2025, Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors will officially vote on (and have already recommended to pass) the "Resolution of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Regarding the Presidential Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion." This resolution dissolves the Office of Inclusive Strategy and Excellence, which oversees more than 700+ DEI initiatives across the university. This decision follows similar ones made at other universities around the country, including but not limited to our neighbors at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University.
One of the beautiful opportunities that going to college provides is that students are able to explore who they are and what is important to them. For many, this involves seeking out identity-based communities to find and build connections with those who share similar histories, something that can be hard to find when far from home. Removing the chance for students to expand their world and delve into self-discovery harms not only the individual, but the whole of the community. We want to remind President Tim Sands and the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors that the destruction of these programs does not destroy the people who rely on them. It only undoes the decades of progress we have made towards making everyone feel welcome at our institution, regardless of where they may have come from.
This administration's resolution is one facet of a larger national attack aimed at instilling fear in anyone who does not unequivocally align with our fascist government. We are living, and have been living, in a system that has always prioritized profit over people’s lives. They do not care what happens to us - particularly to us marginalized peoples - as long as they have as much money in their pockets as possible. Racism is a mechanism to rationalize increased profits out of marginalized groups. Our protest and this petition are not just about DEI - they are about calling attention to the dangerous precedent being set by our forever fascist government and their lackeys. When a university abandons protections against discrimination for marginalized peoples in abandoning protections against discrimination for marginalized communities – which, given its history, is not surprising. It signals to the students and greater community that discrimination and hatred are acceptable and even encouraged. At Virginia Tech, we refuse to stand aside while our civil rights protections are being dismantled by the United States government and while our institution fails to protect us. Our motto "Ut Prosim," That I May Serve, does not exclude you, Tim Sands, or you, our Board of Visitors. The elimination of the Office of Inclusive Strategy and Excellence does not serve the student body, the community you are sworn to defend, protect, and empower.
We will not go back.
Sponsored by
To:
Tim Sands, President of Virginia Tech
From:
[Your Name]
President,
This is not only a defining moment for your administration - it is a defining moment for Virginia Tech.
You have the authority and the responsibility to:
1. DEFEND YOUR FACULTY from harassment and threats,
2. PROTECT INCLUSIVE STUDENT PROGRAMMING that empowers historically marginalized communities,
3. GUARANTEE TRANSPARENT, PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE that reflects the voices of the students it serves,
4. PREVENT THE EROSION OF EQUITY through vague, overreaching policy that silences advocacy, and
5. UPHOLD DUE PROCESS AND FAIR REPRESENTATION in every policy, every meeting, and every decision that affects this community.
This letter reflects the collective concern of students, faculty, and staff - but especially those whose identities are, historically and presently, the most violently targeted in America. We speak as Black students, Indigenous students, Palestinians students, disabled students, LGBTQ+ students, and all other marginalized communities at Virginia Tech. We are united. We are resolved. And we are unwavering in our demands for action.
We will continue to fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion, not as abstract values, but as daily realities that shape the safety, dignity, and success of every student here.We will fight for our right to exist as human beings because dissolving DEI is just the beginning. If they can dissolve DEI, they will continue to pass measures that further discriminate against all marginalized peoples on campus. We must all, as students, stand together strong and protect and fight for each other. And we will continue to hold this institution accountable to its motto: Ut Prosim, That I May Serve.
We will not be silent.
We will not stand down.
And we will not go back.