Boise State University alumni, veterans to the Idaho Legislature: Diversity is important
.jpg "Clockwise, from left, Ace Arroyo, Raja Prabhala and Kevin Wallior are all veterans and alumni of Boise State University. They have written an open letter to the Idaho Legislature asking legislators to stop their attack on diversity programs at their alma mater.")
To the honorable members of the Idaho Senate and House of Representatives,
We the undersigned, all of us veterans of the U.S. military and alumni of Boise State University, write to you in support of diversity at our state institutions of higher learning, particularly our alma mater.
We have witnessed with concern opposition to Boise State University’s annual budget due to its support of diversity programs.
As members of the U.S. armed forces, we served in one of the most diverse institutions in the United States. The U.S. military attracts highly qualified men and women from all 50 states and our U.S. territories who represent a wide variety of creeds, religions, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and other attributes that make the people of this country stronger together. We saw firsthand how that rich diversity of perspective produces innovative solutions.
As former or current military service members, acclimating with the general student body and readjusting to civilian life can be challenging. We benefited from the special programs and support available through the BSU Veteran Services Center. We are grateful that Boise State and school President Marlene Tromp have shown continued support of these programs to help future veterans succeed as students inside and outside of the classroom. We strongly believe that support should be extended to other historically underrepresented groups on campus, many of which veterans also identify with.
As veterans, we all took a pledge to defend and uphold the values of America, and many of us have risked our lives upholding that pledge.
That pledge represents the people of this country — all people, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.
While we have certainly faced some challenges as veterans adjusting to student life, we are acutely aware that many other students and staff on our campus have faced just as challenging of circumstances if not worse, with far less support.
We feel it is our duty to speak out in defense of the value all students (past, present, and future) bring to Boise State but particularly those who have not always had their voices or concerns heard by the powers that be.
Taking an anti-diversity stance doesn’t just disrespect people from minority groups, but it also actively harms our current students.
In an increasingly diverse country, failing to prepare Idaho’s students to navigate and respect diversity puts them at a great disadvantage to compete in a global economy. It harms not only the reputations of our colleges and universities but also that of our state, making it more difficult to recruit businesses and skilled workers to meet the needs of our existing businesses.
We implore this Legislature to re-evaluate its position on diversity programs and work with Boise State University and our other state institutions of higher learning to make our campuses fully inclusive communities welcoming to all people.
We ask you to support future veterans who are deciding whether to pursue education at Boise State. We also ask you to support any future student, regardless of background, to feel more welcome and accepted in our state and community.