Diversity

The diversity principle – the idea that people with different backgrounds, identities, and viewpoints produce better work – was a core tenet of the first modern research university and the inspiration for John Stuart Mill’s classic treatise, On Liberty. But as a war on diversity upendsgovernment, corporate, and education policies, the history of the idea of diversity has never been more important. In his latest book, The Diversity Principle: The Story of a Transformative Idea, David B. Oppenheimer, a diversity skeptic turned believer, chronicles how diversity became a foundation of education over the last 200 years, how it evolved in commerce and science, and the inevitable implications of the current backlash.

A soon-to-be released audit of Idaho’s universities found a handful of instances where they were out of compliance with a law trying to oust diversity, equity and inclusion policies from state government.

Six universities in the Mountain West are among the schools under investigation for participating in a program aimed at helping minority students earn doctoral degrees in business.

Experts say it's not clear what the order requires of colleges and universities — but some schools are acting anyway.

Wildland fire has a diversity problem: in 2022, the Government Accountability Office reported that the federal firefighting force was 84 percent men and 72 percent white. This inequitable situation has been identified as one of the key barriers to recruiting and retaining a workforce capable of confronting the wildfire crisis.

It’s been four months since Idaho banned public universities from requesting diversity statements during their admissions and hiring processes. A legislative task force is still hammering out what the state’s anti Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies are targeting.

Schools and libraries are seeing unprecedented attempts to pull books, deemed controversial by some, off the shelves. A new study finds those books are often about and by diverse people.

Last ski season, a record number of skiers and snowboarders visited resorts in the Rocky Mountain region and most of them were white. Now there's an effort in Colorado to make snow sports more accessible to everyone and it's being led by an immigrant from Mexico.

La pasada temporada de esquí, un número récord de esquiadores y snowboarders visitaron estaciones de esquí en la región Rocky Mountain, incluido Colorado. La gran mayoría de los visitantes eran de raza blanca. Hay un esfuerzo en Summit County para hacer que estos deportes de nieve sean más accesibles para todos, y está dirigido por un residente latino que comprende la experiencia de los inmigrantes.

Last ski season, a record number of skiers and snowboarders visited resorts in the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado. The vast majority of them were white. There’s an effort in Summit County to make these snowsports more accessible to everyone, and it’s being led by a longtime resident who understands the immigrant experience.