April 24, 2026
Students, advocates and researchers examine how Texas Senate Bill 17 and related policy changes are affecting college access, campus climate and student support systems. The episode highlights student experiences, emerging research and efforts to sustain opportunity.
Key takeaways
- Texas SB 17 and related policies are reshaping college access and campus supports.
- Students report loss of services, safe spaces and culturally relevant resources.
- Policy changes are influencing college choices, including undermatching and reduced options.
- Faculty, staff and students face uncertainty, self-censorship and shifting campus climates.
- Students and communities are organizing to sustain support systems and protect opportunity.
Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
As diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in education face political backlash, Texas has become ground zero for some of the most sweeping changes. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end race-conscious college admissions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, Texas enacted Senate Bill 17, which bans diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs at public colleges and universities. These moves, alongside additional state and federal actions, are already reshaping the educational landscape and putting college access further out of reach for many Texas students.
In this episode, IDRA education law intern Adiba Chowdhury and IDRA Deputy Director of Policy, Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., are joined by Alexander De Jesus and Sameeha Rizvi, who both members of the Texas Students for DEI Coalition. They dissect the nature of recent legislative changes and their impact on Texas students. As a bonus, Dr. Sikes shares recent findings from IDRA’s ongoing study on the impact on SB 17, and Adiba shares testimony from college advisors who participated in the study.
“DEI didn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s because students had the guts… demand that fair access.” – Sameeha Rizvi
“DEI didn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s because students had the guts…“We’ve heard high school students, advisors and parents say they’re worried about how their student can actually academically succeed in college if they don’t feel they even belong.” demand that fair access.” – Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D.
“What chilling effect is coming next? Where is the university going to silence me?” – Alex De Jesus
“It’s going to be exhausting, but this is a long-term movement. It’s not a moment. We have to keep on fighting. It didn’t start here. It doesn’t end here.” – Sameeha Rizvi
Resources
Texas Students for DEI website
Texas Students For DEI Mutual Aid Fund for Undocumented Students
IDRA infographic – Understanding Texas’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Ban at Public Universities
Info on IDRA’s study: College Access Study on the Impact of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Restrictions
See IDRA’s preliminary report: A Community-Based Study on the Impact of Texas’ SB 17 on Marginalized College-Going Students, by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D.
Show length: 43:13 min.
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