DEI Graduation Celebration at Minnesota State University, Mankato: “Join us in celebrating DEI’s Spring 2026 graduates!”

Minnesota State University, Mankota is set to hold a Spring 2026 DEI Graduation Celebration on Thursday, May 7th, 2026. The announcement reads, “Join us in celebrating DEI’s Spring 2026 graduates!”

The announcement continues, “We are excited to celebrate you and present you with a graduation stole & pics [sic] from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to wear with your gown and regalia during commencement.”

On the “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Spring 2026 Graduation Stole Ceremony Signup,” students get to choose their stole and graduation pins based on their DEI involvements.

The stole options include a “DEI Stole” or a “Lavender Stole” with a LGBTQ+ rainbow.

For their graduation pins, the community options listed include: African American Affairs, American Indian Affairs, Asian American Affairs, Latin American Affairs, LGBT Center, and more.

Last year, the University held a similar event– a Spring 2025 DEI Graduation Celebration as shown in the photo below. This announcement read, “Join us in celebrating DEI’s Spring 2025 graduates!” Similarly, students could choose from a DEI stole or a LGBTQ+ lavender stole.

Minnesota State University, Mankota remains a proponent of DEI. Their DEI webpage reads, “We believe that fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) on campus is essential for our students, faculty, and staff to thrive as engaged, productive members of a diverse global society.”

In fact, the University praises its “Recruitment and Retention Efforts,” through which the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access “enhances recruitment and retention efforts and outreach to diverse students in all areas of the University.”