Subverting Anti-Inclusion Efforts: Reframing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as an Epistemic Good

Program Abstract: Anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) legislation is increasingly prevalent in higher education. As of May 24, 2024, the Chronicle of Higher Education is tracking 85 bills in 28 states and the US Congress. Further, the Chronicle is tracking anti-DEI changes at 160 campuses across 23 states. One way to refute anti-DEI rhetoric is to reframe the issue from a moral good (i.e., it is just and right to include all people, especially those who have been un- and underrepresented) to an epistemic good (i.e., the more people from varied backgrounds and perspectives working in STEM, the better able we are to develop new ideas, root out biases, and explore different facets of understanding our universe). This shift in strategy in classrooms, courthouses, and the realm of public opinion refocuses the discussion on evidence-based reasons for inclusion and away from the current dichotomies of right/wrong and fair/unfair.