Inclusion is a Bedrock Value We Must Champion, Always

Inclusivity is foundational to a just and equitable society where everyone can thrive.

We are better when we are inclusive.

We are stronger when we are inclusive.

We are healthier when we are inclusive.

Inclusivity helps ensure we all can partake, flourish and dream. By embracing diversity and promoting inclusiveness, we lift everyone and support more ideas and perspectives, helping spur innovation, social connection and progress. But it all starts with inclusion. Inclusion allows for more people to attain opportunities, which in turn promotes greater equity. You can’t know the feelings of being welcomed, seen and heard if you’re not included. And yet today, in 2023, the forces of exclusion and impediments to diversity remain pervasive.

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned a decades-long policy of affirmative action in higher education. Specifically, six justices making up a supermajority ruled against the race-conscious admission programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The decision effectively overturned affirmative action at U.S. universities, impacting admission programs that had – for decades – aligned around the importance of diversity and worked to combat the prevalence of racial inequality in education.

As the news of the decision came in, I was saddened, even angered, at the prospect of going backward in this moment and negatively impacting so many students vying for opportunities in higher education. But then the drumbeat of responses began.

Within hours, President Joe Biden was on the airwaves.

“You know, I’ve always believed that one of the greatest strengths of America — and you’re tired of hearing me say it — is our diversity, but I believe that,” he said. “I’ve always believed that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed and that every generation of Americans, we have benefitted by opening the doors of opportunity just a little bit wider to include those who have been left behind.”

That day the Biden Administration called on colleges and universities to give serious consideration to the adversities students have overcome when selecting among qualified applicants, considering things like the financial means of a student or where a student grew up or personal experiences of hardship or discrimination.

Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts weighed in too, saying, “In Massachusetts – home to the first public school and first university – our commitment to equity, inclusion, and representation in education remains unshakable.

“We want to make sure that students of color, LGBTQ+ students, first-generation students, and all students historically underrepresented in higher education feel welcomed and valued at our colleges and universities. Today’s decision, while disappointing, will not change our commitment to these students.”

Countless university presidents across the country, from the University of Pennsylvania to Stanford and Yale, issued similar statements. The drumbeat of voices for support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was loud, and only getting louder.

I believe it’s that commitment and that solidarity that will carry us forward in this moment. Whether it’s our universities or our workplaces, we all must stand for diversity and inclusion because we have a long way to go to make sure everyone has a seat at the table; we have a long way to go to help ensure everyone feels welcomed, seen and heard. I know each of us can make a difference.

As a through line from higher education, we must also continue our commitment to inclusion in the workplace. From our 2023 State of Workplace Well-Being Poll, which was conducted by The Harris Poll and surveyed full-time employed U.S. adults, we know that a focus on DEI is critical to a company’s health and well-being efforts. The vast majority of employees (83%) told us they view company DEI efforts as a vital part of a company’s commitment to health. In addition, a company’s DEI efforts strongly align with employee job satisfaction (78%) and comfort in the workplace (83%).

Here at IWBI, advancing equity is core to our mission to support health leadership in buildings, organizations and communities. As I said when we launched the WELL Equity Rating last year, equity is the very foundation to healthier, stronger and thriving organizations. And I’m proud of the role we will continue to play to be a force for inclusion, equity, diversity and accessibility.

We are better when we are inclusive.

We are stronger when we are inclusive.

We are healthier when we are inclusive.