Marshall University is home to 12,318 students.
Of these 12,318, 9,133 are white, 578 are Black, 457 are two or more races, 317 are Hispanic, 174 are Asian, 38 are American Indian or Alaska Native, six are Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander and the race or ethnicity of 1,427 is unknown. There are 188 international students and 2,753 students from out-of-state.
At Marshall, 9,165 students are pursuing their undergraduate degree, 2,614 are obtaining their graduate degree and 539 are working toward their first professional degree. Many of them are first-generation students; some have had family attend Marshall for generations.
Although Marshall University Research and Planning does not have available data on these demographics, we have students who align with a variety of religious affiliations, sexual orientations and gender identities. We have students with visible and nonvisible disabilities as well.
We come from different backgrounds and different high schools, and we are all pursuing many different degrees.
Anyone who knows Marshall knows this: We are a diverse student body, we are an equitable student body and we are an inclusive student body.
The laws around us may be changing, but this cannot and will not change who we are – who we love, how we treat one another or what we are interested in pursuing.
Now that the university’s plans for DEI reform are finalized, here is what we know: No student organizations will be dismantled. No faculty members will be fired. No groups will receive less support or resources than before.
Instead, more resources will be provided for non-traditional groups, in an attempt to increase access, connection and engagement on campus. More responsibility will also be in the hands of some student groups, such as the Lambda Society, who will now plan and organize the Lavender Graduation Ceremony, and the Black United Students, who will now plan and organize the Donning of the Kente Ceremony.
Although it may seem like we are losing our power, now is the time for us to step up and take control. It is our responsibility to support our classmates who now must plan graduation ceremonies so that all of us can continue leaving our mark on Marshall University.
It is our responsibility to ensure all groups remain present on campus and in our community. The 12,318 of us are united in the fact that we are members of the Herd; let’s use this time to lean on each other and lift each other up.
It is our responsibility to stay educated on what’s happening in our local, state and federal governments, and it is our responsibility to vote accordingly. It’s our responsibility to get involved and use our voices, be it at the city hall or online. Who knows – one of us may be sitting in a Marshall University classroom today and running the country the next.
Regardless of the laws, we are not going anywhere. We, as a student body, will remain diverse, equitable and inclusive because that is who we are. That is who Marshall is.
