Two public universities in Virginia have reversed plans to require students to complete a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) course to graduate following Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent audit. .
Virginia Commonwealth University and George Mason University have decided not to require DEI-focused courses as undergraduate courses this fall, but these classes will continue to be offered.
The decision comes after Education Secretary Youngkin’s office was asked earlier this month to review the syllabi for a planned “Racial Literacy” course at VCU and a “Just Society” course at George Mason University. It criticized both future requirements as “thinly veiled core curriculum obligations.” “It’s trying to embrace the groupthink of the progressive left,” Inside Higher Ed reported.
VCU’s Board of Visitors voted 10-5 Friday not to require a “racial literacy course” as part of the general education curriculum, with the majority split between three different gubernatorial administrations (Republican Youngkin and former Democratic He represented board appointees from the governor’s administration. Government Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam.
“At the heart of the Board’s deliberations was a commitment to providing flexibility and autonomy to students while protecting academic freedom,” VCU said in a statement announcing the decision. “Support for racial literacy classes was clearly expressed in the discussions, and these courses are accessible to students who want to explore it.”
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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin delivers the VCU Commencement Address on May 11, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. (Parker Michels Boyce of The Washington Post via Getty Images)
VCU BOV President Todd Haymore said the vote was “not about course content, just graduation requirements,” and thanked the faculty who developed the courses and encouraged students to “look into these courses. Encourage them to take courses that interest them.
“As a member of the faculty, I support the role and expertise of faculty in curriculum development,” VCU President Michael Rao said in a statement. “I am a strong supporter and encourager of racial literacy courses and am pleased to have them available to students. Our country has a long way to go to achieve inclusion, and these courses will be extremely helpful. As President, I also understand that our Board of Governors has the ability to vote on general education mandates that apply to all students. ”
VCU’s racial literacy mandate was discussed in the wake of protests and riots that erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Washington Examiner reported. Classes apply racial perspectives to subjects such as media, activism, health care, psychology, and education.
The VCU Board of Governors is comprised of 16 members, eight of whom are appointed by Youngkin. Four seats will become vacant on July 1, giving Youngkin the opportunity to appoint additional VCU board members.
The day after VCU’s announcement, more than 100 students walked out of Yonkin’s commencement address, which The Washington Post called “a show of support for Palestinians and promoting racial equity in education.” “We are protesting some of the Republican movements against the initiative.”
George Mason University campus in Fairfax, Virginia. (Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
VCU students leave Governor Yonkin’s commencement speech midway through
In an email to employees last week, GMU Interim President Kenneth D. Some voters, including some members of the association, still have reservations.” “Justice and Equity and Strategies for Addressing them” are part of the Mason Core Curriculum.
“Given that fall registration for first-year students begins in the coming weeks, we must provide a final answer now,” Walsh wrote, according to the Examiner. “And my answer to whether to implement this requirement is neither yes nor no. Rather, it’s “not yet.”
GMU has decided that DEI classes will not be required for undergraduate students this fall, but it is not up to Walsh to decide whether they will become mandatory after that. The new governor will take office on July 1st.
Earlier this month, a committee report was submitted to the GMU Board of Visitors, citing “concerns that the university engages in indoctrination through both its DEI programs and curriculum, and actively silences those with diverse viewpoints.” He cited complaints from students.
April 29, 2019 at Hibbs Hall on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. (Sean Kennedy/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Michael J. Meese, a committee member and Youngkin appointee, told Inside Higher Ed at the time that Virginia’s K-12 public schools were “inherently divisive, including critical race theory.” Youngkin’s first-day executive order, “Ending the Use of Concepts That Bring them,” said he feels it should be done. This also applies to national and public universities.
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“I think that should apply to us as well, that we shouldn’t have an office of DEI or any other office or any other professor who promotes inherently divisive concepts,” Meese said. .
Reginald Brown, a member of GMU’s Board of Visitors who is also Youngkin’s appointee, told Inside Higher Ed on Monday that without further consultation with the new chancellor and the board, he would not be able to “complete the Just Society Mandate.” A majority of board members are concerned about the transition.” New board members.
“We will have three or four new directors in place in July,” Brown said. “I don’t think universities should shy away from concepts that are inherently divisive.”
Fox News Digital reached out to both universities for comment on Tuesday.
