The Honors College Equity Team at UW-Milwaukee attended the screening of “First They Came for Our College” on Friday, Sept. 25, during the Dialogues Documentary Festival at the Oriental Theatre. The movie choice was a collaborative decision made between team members who thought it had great relevance given the current political conversation regarding higher education and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives today.
“It was both disappointing and disturbing to watch… seeing ill-intentioned board members slowly pick away at the core values that encompassed student expression, belonging and inclusivity,” said Honors Equity Member Elijah Treviranus.
The documentary film captures the obliteration of the vibrant culture at New College, a public liberal arts university in Florida, beginning with the replacement of the university’s former President Patricia Okker in 2023. Then, spearheaded by Governor De Santis’s Board of Trustees member appointee, Christopher Rufo, the Board of Trustees voted to have the Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence shut down and the gender studies program eliminated.
The impact of these changes is most strikingly felt in the cultural shift among the student body. In one scene, a New College student can be seen skateboarding back to their hotel accommodation while newly recruited baseball students walk around on-campus housing. In another scene, a student walking with their same-sex partner is called a homophobic slur as they cross the courtyard.
Changes to DEI programming like the ones at New College are happening all across the nation as both universities and businesses scramble to meet White House directives. On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed Executive Order No. 14151, effectively terminating all federal DEI programs and positions. The very next day, he signed Executive Order No.14173 requiring all federal contractors to “certify that [they do] not operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws.”
Although universities are not automatically subject to every requirement imposed on federal contractors simply because they receive federal funding, federal directives and funding conditions have placed pressure on higher education institutions to reconsider their DEI initiatives.
At UWM, recent plans to consolidate cultural centers underscore the importance of advocating for our campus community amid growing political pressure to get rid of programs and institutions that support historically marginalized groups.
“The proposed plan to merge all student multicultural centers could have very well led to the downfall of student inclusivity and expression,” said Treviranus. “This movie is a powerful reminder that universities across the nation must take a stance and protect their students.”