The Recent Affirmative Action Ruling, Campus DEI Efforts, and Diversity in the Emergency Management Field

In light of the Supreme Court recently ruling against affirmative action, in this episode we’re sharing clips from our past episodes on higher education. From the experience of leaders and students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), to the future of security and DEI efforts on college campuses, we hope this episode spotlights the forward progress we’ve seen in higher education despite the SCOTUS ruling.

Episodes referenced:

• Ep. 103: The Future of HBCUs and Higher Education

• Ep. 55: Important Issues Facing Campus Public Safety

• Ep. 118: Strategic Communication Methods for DEI

• Ep. 54: Transitioning from an HBCU to a Career in Emergency Management

Some of the key takeaways include: 

• Losing affirmative action could mean fewer students of color in emergency management and business continuity programs, which means a less diverse workforce for years to come. And it already wasn’t very diverse to begin with!

• The highest priority in higher education institutions should be education. Safety is important, but ultimately the goal of a college or university is to educate its students. In our field, it’s our job to keep safety at the forefront so students can just focus on learning.

• Putting together a committee for diversity and inclusion efforts is fine, but it’s not enough. The initiative and investment needs to come directly from the CEO of the company or the president of the university. 

Resources mentioned:

• Listen to Episode 146:  Human Resources Strategies for Building Culture and Acquiring Talent with Marie Mann

Disaster Recovery Journal:

• Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series

• Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency

Asfalis Advisors:

• Apply to be a guest on the podcast

• Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy

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Vanessa Mathews, host

Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.

• Book Mathews as a speaker 

Jon Seals, producer

Jon Seals is the editor in chief at