The University of Michigan is the latest public university to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as part of its faculty requirements, making it one of several universities to scale back its DEI efforts this year.
“The University of Michigan will no longer require diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion, or tenure,” the school said in a news release Thursday.
University of Michigan President Rory McCauley announced the decision to discontinue the use of the diversity statement following an Oct. 31 recommendation from the Faculty Working Group, the university announced.
The group reportedly criticized the statement, saying it “could limit freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus.”
“We will continue to refine our approach as we pursue this challenging and complex work,” McCauley said.
The university chose not to implement two other recommendations from the task force: integrating DEI content into teaching, research, and service statements and increasing training on how to write and evaluate it.
This year, several other public universities also rolled back their DEI initiatives and requirements.
With Senate Bill 17 signed into law this year, public universities in Texas eliminated DEI offices, DEI-related positions, and mandatory DEI training.
This includes layoffs and restructuring at institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M.
The University of North Carolina System discontinued DEI programs on campus in May, redirecting millions from DEI efforts to public safety. The state also banned requiring diversity statements on job applications in academia.
Iowa’s three public universities (University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa) began eliminating their DEI offices and reallocating funding after state legislation was passed earlier this year.
Last year, restrictions on DEI at Florida’s public universities were part of broader education reforms implemented under Gov. Ron DeSantis following the passage of legislation targeting DEI programs.
Universities aren’t the only ones cutting back on DEI efforts, with President-elect Trump pledging during his campaign to eliminate DEI programs at federal agencies.
In 2020, then-President Trump issued an executive order banning “divisive” training for federal contractors. And the House Oversight Committee held a hearing last month on dismantling DEI policies.
“This is a multibillion-dollar industry that pushes left-wing, far-left ideological orthodoxy in essentially every area of American life. That’s why I call it the DEI business, not just DEI. That’s why I started it. People should know what I’m talking about,” constitutional and civil rights attorney Devon Westhill said in an interview on FOX News Digital.
Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris administration has encouraged DEI efforts across several branches of the federal government.
In 2021, President Biden expanded an executive order directing government agencies to measure and “remove barriers” to equal opportunity through DEI policies.
Another executive order signed that year was a government-wide effort to incorporate DEI principles into federal employment.
