Given the “profound influence of state-level legislative and executive actions on the DEI[A] terrain in U.S. education” (Cherident & Gremillion, 2024, p. 8), we face the possibility of years of unprecedented actions on the work that has been done to create equitable and inclusive spaces in higher education. More than 85 state legislative bills that aim to reduce or eliminate DEIA programs in institutions of higher education have been introduced since 2023, with more than one dozen becoming law (Winney, 2025). In the face of federal actions to eliminate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work across public and private sectors (Gretzinger et al., 2025), we invite proposals that explore the grounding questions above and present answers, musings, and further lines of inquiry. 

This conference is sponsored by St. John’s University’s Academic Center for Equity and Inclusion, which organizes scholarly and pedagogical activities that advance St. John’s University’s commitment to an inclusive and equitable University community. The University conducts its work on the ancestral lands of the Canarsie and Lenape peoples. In the current era, the University is situated in Queens, home to residents from over 120 countries speaking more than 800 languages (Corcoran, 2017). Within this context, we seek to gather as a community to share knowledge about how to create communities of belonging and flourishing in higher education spaces. This conference gathering is in the spirit of the adage that reminds us that when we have more than we need, we seek to build a larger table rather than a higher fence. To that end, we invite you to join us at the conference table this summer. 

This conference will equip attendees to do 

• learn from peers, colleagues, and experts  

• enhance current practices 

• share acquired knowledge in a professional setting 

• engage in meaningful conversations 

• join in community