Santa Clara University’s Diversity and Inclusion Center Undergoes Budget Cuts

Photo of outside the DISC lounge, room SCDI 2306. Photo by Mahika Ayra

Amongst federal administration initiatives impacting diversity, equity and inclusion measures in higher education across the country, Santa Clara University’s Diversity and Inclusion Student Center has undergone a cut in its budget. 

DISC receives part of its funding from the College of Arts and Sciences. According to Daniel Press, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the budget was reduced from $20,000 to $10,000. He attributed the funding reduction to budget cuts in operating expenses from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We were spending about $20,000 on DISC when we started,” said Press in regards to funding. “I can’t sustain that, because we have that cut to the operating expenses and all of my costs have gone up. Everything has gone up.” 

Whilst DISC funding cuts may sound daunting, there is a chance that nothing will change and the program will continue as planned.

Discussing the current financial situation‭, ‬a faculty member in the School of Engineering who wished to remain anonymous claims‭ ‬the cuts are‭ "‬not where it’s gonna impact programming right now‭." ‬

Press emphasized that the College of Arts and Sciences has placed resources into other DEI-related initiatives, such as conducting cluster hires—a process involving hiring multiple people in related fields. Specifically, cluster hires have been promoted in social justice, equality and LGBTQ+ fields. 

Another major source of funding for DISC comes from the School of Engineering.

“I don’t know exactly what choices the School of Engineering has made in the last six or seven months,” said Press. “I can tell you that they have faced some real financial challenges, in part because of the cost of their graduate programs. I think they have reduced some of their support for DISC.”

The School of Engineering declined to comment on this story.

“DISC is a space for everyone, so it’s gonna really affect almost all students, but especially the minorities, the ones who need it the most,” said bioengineering major Gabby Robles ’26, the co-chair of the Inclusivity and Diversity in Engineering and Stem program. “Other events, like STEM dinners or talks or speakers that come, really inspire students and help them feel less alone.” 

DISC officially opened in 2021 alongside the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation as both a physical space and a subset of programs, including IDEAS, and has operated on a year-to-year budget. The student center “promotes, educates, and supports diversity in STEM,” according to their website.

“DISC does a lot for students. All STEM students, even non-STEM students,” said Robles. “They have a lot of programs that help students feel involved and a lot of people don’t know about it.” 

According to a 2022 article from Santa Clara University, DISC serves over 250 students a week on average, helping them to connect to on-campus resources like the Cowell Center and the Office of Multicultural Learning.

Despite the fact the University is no longer a predominantly white institution, Robles feels that “there is a lack of space for minority students and students who feel left out,” on campus. 

“There’s kind of just a lot of money that we need that needs to go to a lot of places, and resources are already being cut,” Robles said.

With the academic year coming to a close, and no clear timeline for decisions, students like Robles are left wondering whether the programs that help them “feel less alone” will survive the budget squeeze.