UNC Undergraduate Executive Branch hosts DEI Town Hall

The UNC Undergraduate Executive Branch hosted a town hall on Wednesday evening focused on diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.

The town hall, led by Elise Ramos and Alexandra Versace, co-directors of the DEI department of the UNC Executive Branch, spoke about the initial DEI policy removal from the UNC Board of Governors, heard comments from Vice Provost Leah Cox about what the new policy means for the University, and gave attendees a platform to voice their grievances, concerns and questions about how the loss of DEI has impacted their student experience. 

The event was structured on a similar town hall hosted last year, which  focused on safety concerns on campus and multicultural organizations. Versace said that the DEI Town Hall was important in light of the recent repeal and uncertainty surrounding the future of DEI on campus. 

 Because of the system-wide compliance guidelines released on Sept. 11, Versace said it was important to reassure students that DEI isn't entirely gone, but has rather been restructured. She added that there are still faculty, staff and students committed to the same goals achieved by the department in years past. 

Ahead of the town hall, the executive branch shared a DEI Removal Reception form that allows students to submit feedback regarding the policy repeal.

“That feedback is really vital for us as Student Government to kind of see how can we change this thought process for the students, for them to say, ‘We're supported by an entity of the University where we feel supported by these programs that make students feel more included and feel more at home at Carolina,’ as well as feeling safe and letting them know that they belong,” she said. 

Versace said the main concerns from students surrounded campus culture in light of recent admissions data, in relation to the removal of affirmative action in admissions, a lack of DEI-centric resources and feeling unsupported by UNC.

Versace said that Cox was the only person the executive branch had considered to help with the event. 

“Dr. Cox was at the DEI Town Hall last year. I remember pointing a student her direction to talk about something she was facing and an issue she had with a professor. And I know every time I thought of DEI, it was always Dr. Cox,” Versace said.

Cox previously oversaw DEI efforts in her position as chief diversity officer at the University from 2021-24. After her position was eliminated, she was realigned to vice provost.

In her new role, Cox oversees the efforts of developing recommendations for the new Equality Within the University of North Carolina policy and collaborates with various departments across the University to ensure integration and alignment of the strategic goals of the institution. 

Cox said the policy promotes neutrality among University faculty, staff and administrators while encouraging students to pursue growth in areas they believe are key to their success. 

She also addressed a policy that was enacted earlier this year prohibiting mandatory training that focuses on diversity, race or gender for staff and faculty.

“Here at UNC, I have probably worked with and met more people who want to do the right thing and who value what you probably value than those who don't,” Cox said.

Versace said that there were no obstacles from University administration that prevented the organization from hosting the event. However, she noted that finding a department to partner with the organization to make future events eligible for CLE credit could be a potential challenge. 

Devin Duncan, a UNC first-year who attended the town hall, said that DEI is a wide umbrella of topics. He said that it is important for himself and other students to understand the mindset around issues like DEI that impact the student body. 

Duncan said that the town hall was a good reminder that there are support systems advocating for students and that he is able to be an advocate for himself. 

“What I will say is it requires all of us to be active. Regardless [of] if you’re in favor or not in favor, speak your opinion. Speak it professionally and politely and be ready to understand why people don’t agree or disagree with you,” he said. “I hope that the University supports those conversations on a larger scale, especially as they're moving to this term of ‘student success.’”

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