University of Texas System Suspends New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policies

The University of Texas System Board of Regents said Wednesday it has suspended all new policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion across its 13 university and medical campuses and asked all school leaders to report on their current DEI policies.

UT Systems Council Chairman Kevin Eltif said that while the system seeks to promote diversity among its students and faculty, “certain DEI efforts have deviated from the original intent and are now imposing demands and actions that have rightfully raised concern among our policy makers around these efforts on campuses across our state.”

Eltif’s comments, first reported by the Austin American-Statesman, did not specify what DEI efforts he sees as crossing the line. The UT system did not immediately respond to further questions.

Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to the public university and state agencies, warning them that DEI’s hiring practices violate federal and state employment laws and barring them from hiring for reasons other than merit. Legal experts said the governor’s administration mischaracterized the legal methods employers use when considering diversity in hiring.

Texas Tech University recently came under fire after a conservative advocacy group criticized the university’s biology department for its DEI hiring practices.

Across the country, conservative lawmakers have raised objections to university departments that are demanding so-called diversity statements, in which job applicants are asked to write about their experiences with diverse student groups and talk about how they plan to help students from all walks of life succeed. .

In response to the Governor’s memo, Texas A&M University at College Station recently said it has changed its hiring policy. According to an email obtained by The Texas Tribune, the vice president of faculty affairs told college deans late last week that they should only consider a cover letter, resume, personal statement and professional references when applying for a job.

“There was no university-wide requirement for applicants to submit a diversity statement, but some departments did require such a statement. There was no consistency in approach or shared understanding of how diversity statements were used in the decision-making process,” Susan Ballabina, director of external relations for Texas A&M and senior vice president of academic and strategic collaboration, said Tuesday. “To ensure compliance with the guidance outlined in the February 6, 2023 letter to the Governor’s Office, the Texas A&M Administration, in consultation with the Systems Office of General Counsel, has decided to standardize faculty application requirements.”

Jobs across the country have developed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies to increase representation and create conditions that emphasize fair treatment for groups that have historically faced discrimination.

Over time, universities have adopted DEI policies as a way to correct past biases, recognizing that historically they have served many groups poorly, including people of color, women, students with disabilities, and veterans.

They have set up offices and hired staff to spearhead these efforts and ensure that their campuses are places where historically underrepresented groups can succeed and graduate.

In recent months, conservative politicians and advocates have targeted practices of diversity, fairness and inclusiveness, criticizing efforts to help underrepresented groups as a product of left-wing ideology designed to reinforce liberal ideas about structural racism and discrimination.

Eltife said Wednesday that board members welcome elected officials studying DEI policy in Texas, adding that they may consider a single DEI policy for the entire system.

This article first appeared in the Texas Tribune.

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