(The Sentinel) – While blue-chip companies such as Walmart, Meta (owner of Facebook), Ford, McDonald’s, Lowe’s, John Deere and Harley-Davidson scale back or entirely shut down their recent emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), institutions of higher learning in Kansas maintain robust programs.
Indeed, a 2024 audit shows a combined $45 million spent on equity, $9 million coming from state funds.
In contrast, colleges across the state line in Missouri have ended their DEI programs. The University of Missouri, Northwest Missouri State and most recently, Missouri State University have closed DEI offices in anticipation of a state mandate to do so.
Johnson County (Kansas) Community College’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging (OIB) is bucking national and regional trends away from DEI. The budget this year is about $438,000.
According to the office’s website:
It’s designed to maximize inclusion and belonging efforts on campus by offering:
- Programming and support for students and employees
- Events servicing the Johnson County community
- Training and development centered on best practices
From President Trump’s January 20th Executive Order ending federal support for DEI preferences:
Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.
The publication Community College Daily estimates the impact of the Executive Order:
Any federal funding used for DEI programs and services will likely be eliminated. Federal grants and funded programs will be audited for DEI language and intent and may be rescinded. Programs that specifically support identified student populations (e.g., TRIO, Upward Bound, etc.) may be impacted.
We reached out to JCCC Interim President Judy Korb, PhD, for confirmation about the office’s budget, the programs offered and its number of employees. Through the school’s spokesman, Chris Gray, we received this response:
“The college is currently evaluating all activities pertaining to the newly released and evolving federal guidance. JCCC is also currently in its budgeting cycle for the 2025/2026 year which is our annual process that reviews not only funding but programs and activities that we provide.”
A non-response of that nature often indicates an attempt to keep information out of the public’s eye.
