Did you know that 68% of college students believe that their campus's diversity initiatives have not made a positive impact on their college campus (Kokai)? That may be true, but it could be fixed and turned around to start making a more positive impact on college campuses with the implementation of DEI classes. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are all three very important words, topics, and discussions that should be something that is highlighted in every college education no matter one’s major. You look around today in the news and on social media and about 75% of the time there will be a topic surrounding diversity and social justice matters. Everyone has their own view and opinion on the topic that creates this system of need for DEI classes on campuses. Most colleges don’t even have a high diversity index (diversity index link to colleges) and that is why classes to educate others are more important than ever. While some may say that these classes do not work and are not efficient, other colleges dare to say otherwise. At Hamilton College in New York they “adopted a plan that will require professors across all disciplines to discuss diversity and inclusion in their classes'' (DeRuy). Even at St. Edward's University in Texas and UCLA in California have started to create more diversity and social justice focused courses and make it required for “all students entering its main undergraduate college to fulfill a diversity course requirement” (DeRuy). These classes allow others to be more culturally aware and others to be heard and learn things about each other that they may never have known before. This is a step all colleges and universities should be taken and Merrimack College should be one of these schools today. 

Merrimack College is located in Massachusetts, but does not offer a great deal of diversity classes. As a college student on campus, I believe there is a need to have more of an urge for these classes to be a requirement, to make our campus more unified and to have a better understanding of others. Rather than the continuous portrayal of each other that is falsified by words and images of others they have seen or heard from growing up. These classes being implemented allow everyone to speak about what it’s like being them! It also gives the college a chance to make courses on everyone’s culture, not just the typical black and white courses you will see. There is so much more to these classes and the implementation of them that Merrimack needs to understand and the need for them as a requirement for all Merrimack students and staff. Merrimack College started their call to action in the summer of 2020 after the George Floyd incident (Merrimack's DEI initiative). However, it should not have to take someone dying that is not cacausion for colleges and universities to stand up and start making a change. These classes should be a requirement to graduate and attend Merrimack college. They should include everyone’s culture and have different levels to them. This is just a tiny step in something that should be so much more. Help make Merrimack College a more knowledgeable campus when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.