Public colleges’ diversity, equity, and inclusion offices across the country face an uncertain future as bills that would curtail them move through state legislatures. While anti-DEI legislation hasn’t yet become law this spring, the proposals have already had an impact on campuses.
Some of those impacts are difficult to pin down. Directives from governing boards and system presidents have barred some institutions from putting into place new policies, programs, or trainings as legislative sessions play out.
But it remains unclear if these pauses have affected diversity-related programs that were slated to begin, or if they’re simply symbolic messaging espoused by university-system leaders currying political favor. College officials remain tight-lipped on the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and what, if anything, has been affected by pauses on new efforts.
Here’s a rundown of the colleges that have publicly suspended diversity efforts this spring.
On Hold in Iowa
In March, all three of Iowa’s public universities were ordered by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa to put a hold on any new diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The board will be studying all current diversity programs and hiring practices.
There is not yet a timeline for the study, but it is likely to take “several months” and continue into the fall semester, according to Josh Lehman, a spokesman for the Board of Regents. He wrote in an email that the process for the study “is still being put together.”
Press officers for the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa were unaware of any new diversity policies or programs that have been paused following the board’s announcement.
“Fortunately at the University of Northern Iowa we already had a robust array of DEI programming in place on our campus. We will continue serving our students and community with the programming already in place,” Pete Moris, director of university relations at the University of Northern Iowa, wrote in an email.
Fortunately at the University of Northern Iowa we already had a robust array of DEI programming in place.
A spokeswoman for Iowa State University said the university has not gotten any requests for new DEI efforts since the Board of Regents halted the adding of new diversity programs on March 14.
Liz Tovar, executive officer and associate vice president of the division of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Iowa, sent a note to the campus last week discussing the interaction of free speech and diversity, equity, and inclusion — an issue that is top of mind for many Republican lawmakers.
“This is what freedom of expression and DEI in action look like,” Tovar wrote. “It is learning BOTH the strengths and weaknesses of another’s argument, building a culture where all members can contribute to a conversation,” and “understanding more than just one person’s opinion to learn where there are patterns of agreement.”
Pauses in Texas
The University of Texas system and the University of North Texas system have also put a stop to any new diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
The pauses came in response to a memo sent to state agencies by Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, which asserted that requiring diversity statements in hiring is against federal and state law. Requiring job applicants to submit a diversity statement is a common practice among higher-ed institutions.
Kevin P. Eltife, chair of the UT system’s Board of Regents, expressed his support for Texas lawmakers’ scrutiny of DEI in his remarks announcing the pause.
“We welcome our elected officials in the legislative session’s look into DEI policies throughout higher education in Texas,” Eltife said. “We will work with them in any way possible, and we will certainly implement any new policies the Legislature puts in place.”
In the same remarks, Eltife said he has requested a report on all diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in place at all UT-system campuses, which will be reviewed by the Board of Regents. A UT system spokeswoman confirmed that the report has not yet been completed.
The Chronicle reached out to diversity, equity, and inclusion offices at nine University of Texas campuses to ask if any programs that were scheduled to start had been held due to Eltife’s directive. Two of the offices said to contact their campus media offices. A third response came from a University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley spokesman, who said that no new DEI policies had been halted at the university as a result of the systemwide pause.
A spokeswoman for the University of North Texas system said that per its Chancellor Michael R. Williams’s statement announcing the pause, any new diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are on hold until the system concludes a review of its hiring policies.
Changes in Hiring
Legislation proposing a ban on the use of diversity statements has been introduced in 12 states, including Texas and Missouri.
Though the bills have not yet become law, the Texas A&M University system, the University of Houston system, and the University of Missouri system have all stopped using diversity statements in their hiring processes.
The University of Missouri system will now use a “values commitment” that prospective employees can respond to. The system also announced in March that it will no longer use a “diversity faculty hiring rubric.”
