April is California Community Colleges Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Awareness month. At Irvine Valley College, we take the time to celebrate the breadth of people that make up our IVC campus community. It is an opportunity to learn from experiences different than our own, connect in community with one another, and reflect on how we can continue to grow and evolve to better support each other.
Opponents of DEIA often reduce it to a false dichotomy: merit vs. diversity. It’s easier to stir up fear or resentment by claiming that DEIA means hiring someone because of their race, gender, or background instead of their qualifications. That oversimplification erases the reality that DEIA initiatives seek to expand opportunities, not ignore merit. Many people genuinely misunderstand what DEIA is. They confuse equity with favoritism or assume that inclusion efforts automatically mean exclusion of others.
When equity initiatives challenge long standing practices, it can sometimes feel unsettling – especially for those who have benefited from systems that weren’t always equitable. By painting DEIA as a threat to quality or excellence, it can be a way to resist change and preserve the status quo. At its core, DEIA is about removing barriers, not lowering standards.
As I shared at the opening of DEIA Day, the opposite of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) would be a system or environment characterized by:
- Uniformity instead of diversity where everyone is expected to conform to a narrow set of beliefs, backgrounds, or perspectives.
- Inequity instead of equity where resources, opportunities, and outcomes are distributed unfairly, often favoring one group over others.
- Exclusion instead of inclusion where certain individuals or groups are intentionally or systemically left out of decision-making, opportunities, or community engagement.
- Inaccessibility instead of accessibility where environments, services, or information are not designed to be usable by people with disabilities or those with varying needs, effectively shutting out participation.
Let’s not succumb to the polarization and instead continue to strive for a campus culture that respects and embraces our differences while ensuring that every student, staff, and faculty member feels seen, heard, and valued. Together, we can cultivate a more inclusive IVC—one where our diversity is not just acknowledged but celebrated as a source of strength and unity.
Best,
John