UPDATE: Since publication of this article, MSU Denver has removed the “linguistic white supremacy” page from the school’s website. Screenshots of the the deleted page cited by Complete Colorado are viewable here.
DENVER–The Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU) Writing Center has officially rejected the use of Standard American English (SAE) as part of the program, calling it a “social construct that privileges white communities” as explained on the university’s webpage devoted to “linguistic white supremacy (since taken down).”
But what the university claims is an effort towards “anti-racism” could well instead run afoul of President Trump’s executive order aimed at discriminatory practices rooted in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives on college campuses.
MSU is situated on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver, which also includes the University of Colorado at Denver (CU Denver) and Community College of Denver (CCD). The public university boasts a student population of over 17,000, including both undergraduate and graduate level coursework.
American English as ‘white supremacy’
The MSU Writing Center says SAE, which has been taught in schools since the 1800s, promotes white supremacy in claiming there is a “correct” and “standard” way to write and speak American English.
“The MSU Denver Writing Center rejects the notion that Standard American English exists for many reasons. We fully support students in using their English (whatever that may be) in communicating their thoughts and ideas,” the website says in part. “We are firmly anti-racist, stand with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and will continue to dismantle systems that promote racism.”
The Center instead promotes other forms of English in academic writing, stating that “SAE privileges white populations and creates a destructive binary between SAE and Black or Hispanic Englishes (Ebonce, AAVE, Chicano, HVE, etc).”
Andre Archie, an associate professor of philosophy at Colorado State University and author of the book The Virtue of Color-Blindness, says MSU is promoting what he calls “segregationist thinking.”
“Typically, writing centers on college campuses are not ideologically driven, nor are they raced-based,” Archie told Complete Colorado, “It is simply malpractice, let alone condescending, for a writing center in the twenty-first century, located on an American university campus, to refuse to teach Standard American English.”
‘Grading with equity’
The MSU webpage includes so-called “anti-racist” suggestions for instructors such as “grading with equity,” where teachers are encouraged to grade less on grammar and mechanics.
Instructors are encouraged to avoid writing prompts that “assume American cultural knowledge” or “force a student to relive trauma.” They are also asked to consider designing assignments and grading to “acknowledge that racism exists” in the classroom.
The Center also suggests that plagiarism should be approached with “restorative justice,” saying students plagiarize for many reasons, and teachers should show empathy.
“The education system has taught them that their opinions and thoughts don’t matter, so they are just trying to get by,” and “They are from a country that believes that copying other people’s work is an homage to that person and that there is nothing wrong with that,” the site reads.
President Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order 14173, among other things calls for a review of federal grants to colleges and universities ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination laws and the elimination of DEI programs, or risk federal funding.
“Given that MSU was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in 2019, it is especially troubling that public funds may be subsidizing what appears to be discriminatory practices within the university’s Writing Center,” Archie said.
Multiple requests for comment sent to MSU by Complete Colorado went unanswered.
