Moving Forward on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM

As an 8th year graduate student of a diverse background, my experience in academia has consisted of hurdles, setbacks, and emotional and mental rollercoasters. My journey to climb this career ladder altogether was difficult but there were doors opened and opportunities offered to me so that I was able to progress. Many of my struggles – and those of other students in graduate school – arise from the systemic flaws of the graduate program at large that often leave students with no support or recourse during their graduate career.

The diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office exists to attract diverse students who are often from marginalized groups and provide them with some support while they are enrolled. However, scholastic DEI efforts in general often lack proper resources and are riddled with deterring bureaucracy. Students who come from marginalized backgrounds are typically left to navigate an arduous academic program that was not built for them to thrive and succeed. Despite the limitations of current DEI efforts, students still have an avenue to seek help and resources. But now, there is a grave risk of DEI offices being scrapped in academic institutions as it has become a hot-button issue in the current political climate. According to an article published by NBC News in March 2024, at least 30 states have either introduced, passed at least in one chamber, or fully enacted anti-DEI legislations that deter DEI efforts in institutions receiving state funding. As a result, these institutions are forced to either abolish their DEI policies and work, or risk losing state funding.

Many of us have personally seen far too many under-represented students struggle in graduate schools and eventually are either gently advised to master out of PhD programs, or blatantly forced to quit altogether. In her article in Botany One, Claire Mauss quoted the United States National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report that only 19% of the total of over 1 million doctorate and master’s degrees conferred in the 2018-2019 academic year were awarded to under-represented minority students. This number does not include those who are from lower income backgrounds. Although institutions are now focusing more on recruiting diverse trainees and researchers, they are then challenged with retaining these workers.

Establishing a DEI office in academic institutions was meant to somewhat combat the issues at hand. While the DEI office has helped many students progress through their program, it is far from perfect. Delving deeper, having DEI efforts or not, the issue with the American graduate program has persisted for decades where exploitation of students is a common practice. Many graduate programs have little to no workers’ protections for their graduate students. For instance, reports of Title IX, discrimination, and abuse misconduct by graduate students often go through a series of internal investigations that do not necessarily provide justice for them. This frequently leads students to lose trust in the system, leaving them feeling sidelined and compelled to accept their circumstances without reporting. Moreover, the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has pushed so many workers, including graduate student workers, to organize and unionize to demand fair wages and better protections as student workers. With the heightened attacks and changes on Title IX and DEI, it is perhaps time for all students and trainees to come together as a collective to protect each other. The onus might be on academic institutions to protect and improve the current policies in place that encourage the diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace settings, however, we as trainees must also galvanize our efforts in pursuing other avenues to improve our working experience in academic research so that we can pave a better road for future diverse trainees to excel in this field.

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