Statewide DEI Rollback: UNC Eliminates Diversity Reports and Position
2024-05-26
DEI is not exclusively for people of color. It encompasses efforts to include a broad spectrum of underrepresented groups, ensuring that women, veterans, religious minorities, and people from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds also benefit from these initiatives. DEI programs strive to create environments where diverse perspectives are valued, and every individual has the opportunity to succeed.
DEI, More than Inclusion
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs were established to foster inclusive environments that promote representation and participation from historically underrepresented minority groups.
DEI efforts include various strategies such as mandatory training, hiring diverse faculty and staff, and setting institutional goals for diversity, all intended to create more equitable and inclusive educational and professional settings.
DEI programs aim to support and uplift a wide range of individuals and communities, including:
Veterans
People with disabilities
Religious minorities
Historically underrepresented minority groups (e.g., Black, Latino, Native American)
Individuals from various cultural backgrounds
Individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds
The University of North Carolina’s Board of Governors repealed the state school system’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy on May 23, joining a growing list of schools eliminating such programs. This move, driven by right-wing lawmakers, university donors, and billionaires, reflects a broader pushback against DEI initiatives.
Key Developments
North Carolina:
The UNC system, including its flagship in Chapel Hill, will no longer require annual DEI reports from each school. The Board replaced the DEI program, aimed at fostering an inclusive environment, with “Equality Within the University of North Carolina,” which seeks to ensure equality of all persons and viewpoints. However, it eliminates key elements of the previous DEI policy.
The decision aligns with recent amendments to a bill limiting teachings on race, racism, and sex in state schools, which Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed.
This decision follows a vote to divert $2.3 million from DEI programs, reflecting a broader trend in state governments and schools moving away from DEI.
Florida:
The University of Florida dismantled its DEI program in March, complying with a state law limiting public funding for DEI. This led to the elimination of numerous campus positions, including those in the chief diversity officer’s office. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis labeled DEI “toxic” and encouraged other states to follow suit.
Texas:
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill banning DEI programs on state college campuses, resulting in over 300 layoffs across the state university system.
Utah:
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law in January prohibiting DEI training and hiring initiatives at state universities, arguing that the new law is not racist and expressing concern for minority children.
The University of Wyoming:
The university eliminated its DEI office to comply with a new state law cutting $1.7 million from the DEI budget. However, President Ed Seidel emphasized the importance of services previously categorized under DEI.
Iowa:
State schools, including Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, have rolled back DEI programs, cutting offices and positions in response to a new anti-DEI law.
Kansas:
State lawmakers passed a bill banning DEI statements in student admissions and faculty hiring at public universities, which Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law.
Idaho:
A state law enacted in March bans public universities from requiring students and employees to submit diversity statements that include information on race or ethnicity.
Oklahoma University:
The university’s former DEI office was renamed the “Division of Access and Opportunity,” staff assumed new roles after GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered a review of DEI in higher education.
Board of Governors' Policy Change The Board of Governors adopted a policy requiring "institutional neutrality" and eliminating funding for DEI initiatives. This nearly unanimous vote repealed two DEI policies from September 2019, which mandated roles such as a chief diversity officer across the state’s 17 public campuses. Two board members, Joel Ford and Sonja Phillips Nichols, voted against the policy. Board members Gene Davis and Pearl Burris-Floyd supported it, with Davis expressing discomfort with certain DEI practices and Burris-Floyd emphasizing a path forward despite past missteps in DEI teaching.
Reactions and Future Steps Students across the UNC system, including from UNC Asheville, protested before the board meeting. Liv Barefoot, president of UNCA's Student Government, criticized the Board’s decision, linking it to potential enrollment struggles and the pressure on universities to remain neutral on critical issues. Barefoot noted that students who had previously fled states with gutted DEI policies were now reconsidering their choice to attend UNC system schools.
Implementation and Compliance Each institution’s chancellor and student affairs director must certify compliance and report any workforce reductions and spending changes by September 1. These reports should outline how savings will be redirected to student success and well-being initiatives. UNC Asheville’s Chancellor Kimberly van Noort and Appalachian State University’s Interim Chancellor Heather Norris reaffirmed their commitment to supporting all students despite the policy change.
Broader Context This move aligns with a national trend in higher education. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 85 anti-DEI bills have been introduced in 28 states and the U.S. Congress, with 14 becoming law since 2023. Other UNC institutions, such as UNC Chapel Hill, have already reallocated DEI funds. The Board of Trustees recently voted to reallocate $2.3 million from DEI programs to public safety measures. This decision marks a significant shift in the UNC system’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion, reflecting broader national debates and legislative actions impacting higher education.
The DEI program is brainwashing little kids into believing they are the opposite sex and those responsible should be put in jail for destroying kids lives.
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