Texas Christian University recently suggested changing its “Christmas Party” to a “Holiday Party” as a way to ensure “diversity and inclusion.”
The proposal was detailed in the university’s “Inclusive Excellence Toolkit,” which is “designed to foster an inclusive culture on our campus and in our community.” The toolkit encourages members of the campus to suggest ways to boost inclusivity. The document provides one example, which suggests changing the name of the campus Christmas party.
“Change name of the annual ‘Christmas Party’ to ‘Holiday Party,’ explicitly acknowledging multiple celebrations at that time of year,” the suggestion reads.
Adam Andrzejewski, the CEO and founder of OpenTheBooks.com, was interviewed on CBS Austin, and he noted the irony of a Christian school changing the name of a celebration that many consider a Christian holiday tradition.
“It’s Texas Christian University, and when you apply to the school, you download a TCU toolkit,” he said. “You have to write an essay on your application about how you’ll be inclusive. The toolkit gives you an example of how to do that and how to erase the Christmas tradition from your part of Texas Christian University. And I think many people will find that ridiculous.”
Although considered a Christian school and originally founded by members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which celebrates Christmas, it is worth noting that the university educates students of many religious backgrounds and not all Christian denominations celebrate Christmas.
TCU did not respond to a request for comment, but the university’s website states that the university’s Inclusive Excellence program aims to “infuse diversity and inclusion efforts into all aspects of the university, ensuring that diversity and inclusion are essential to the mission and success of every area of the university.”
“The IE Framework allows each unit of the university to review current operations and intentionally plan a strategy to identify and support DEI initiatives within the unit,” the university states. “Inclusive Excellence views diversity, equity, and inclusion as the responsibility of every member of the TCU community.”
TCU also faced criticism this month after it raised undergraduate tuition to around $61,643 — the highest percentage increase since at least 2011, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. This total does not include fees, books, or room and board. Harvard University’s tuition, for comparison, is $54,269. The tuition hike comes after TCU announced it fundraised $1 billion.
