The University of Michigan Board of Regents did not vote on defunding its diversity, equity, and inclusion program at its final meeting of the year amid protests on campus to keep the program going. The board did announce it will no longer require diversity statements for faculty members during hiring or promotion, a significant change for the university. The board did not confirm they would not cut the DEI program, which has reportedly spent $250 million on diversity initiatives since 2016. The board also increased the household income requirements for the Go Blue Guarantee tuition-free admission program.
There had been concerns that the board would vote to defund the program following discussions reported in a New York Times article and an interview with a board member on Fox News. More than 500 students and faculty rallied on campus in support of the DEI program, expressing their concerns about the potential disruption of the program for the campus. While there was no vote to defund the program, the decision on faculty diversity statements caused alarm among the program’s supporters.
President-elect Donald Trump has indicated plans to scale back DEI programs at federally funded colleges, while some states have already banned such initiatives at state-funded universities. Some critics, like physics professor Keith Riles, have called for the elimination of all DEI programs, arguing that they are discriminatory and harmful to institutions like the University of Michigan. Despite these criticisms, supporters of the DEI program continue to advocate for its importance in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.
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