Businesses want future employees to be able to reason, not if their rainbow sticker is visible. ASU is incorporating “diversity at scale” as a rebranded version of DEI into mandatory courses. The university’s sustainability course incorporates UN SDGs, including social justice ideologies.
ASU’s “Diversity at Scale” Strategy
Arizona State University (ASU) has implemented a “diversity at scale” approach, embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles into coursework despite federal and state bans on such practices. This strategy allows the university to maintain its ideological agenda while complying with legal restrictions on using race in admissions.
The university’s mandatory sustainability course, which incorporates United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has become a focal point of concern. These goals include social justice and gender equality ideologies, presented as facts rather than topics open for debate.
American universities have completely infused DEI philosophy into their structure. I show how ASU has done it at the highest levels here. @elonmusk @DOGE can you help us?https://t.co/1nYBsbT49x pic.twitter.com/mg0fsMsFGu
— Dr Owen Anderson (@dr_owenanderson) February 7, 2025
Impact on Student Career Prospects
The integration of DEI themes into mandatory courses raises questions about the potential impact on students’ career readiness. By prioritizing ideological instruction over practical, career-oriented skills, ASU may be putting its graduates at a disadvantage in a competitive job market.
“Diversity at scale’ serves as a Trojan horse for racial and social engineering.” – Owen Anderson
Employers often evaluate job candidates based on technical proficiency, critical thinking, and industry-specific expertise. If universities focus heavily on DEI-infused curricula rather than core competencies, students may graduate with less emphasis on skills that directly translate to workplace success.
The report card for young students in America shows they are failing at basic things like reading. Yet they are taught about gender ideology and systematic racism instead. Universities like ASU perpetuate this with their required DEI training (it’s still required) and SafeZone… pic.twitter.com/3PYCPh4q6O
— Dr Owen Anderson (@dr_owenanderson) January 31, 2025
Potential Workplace Challenges
The ideological framing of DEI in education may create workplace challenges for graduates. Some employers, particularly in industries that prioritize merit-based hiring and apolitical work environments, may view candidates from schools with overt DEI-driven curricula as less prepared for roles requiring objective problem-solving and adaptability.
If companies perceive that certain universities are producing graduates trained more in activism than in job-specific skills, hiring biases could emerge, potentially limiting opportunities for students who attended institutions with strong DEI mandates.
The Future of DEI in Higher Education
ASU’s strategy could serve as a model for other universities facing similar legal restrictions on traditional DEI practices. The real battle over DEI appears to be shifting from admissions and hiring practices to the curriculum itself.
Critics are calling for increased scrutiny of university curricula to prevent mandatory courses from becoming vehicles for ideological indoctrination. They encourage students and parents to choose institutions carefully and to hold universities accountable through legislative and legal actions.
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