DEI Still Prominent in Faculty Recruitment

A recent analysis indicates that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are still significant factors in recruiting faculty for higher education institutions.

This study, released by Heterodox Academy in July, examined job listings for over 10,000 teaching positions for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year. The findings show that 22.3% of these listings requested DEI statements or related materials.

Private universities were at the forefront, with 28.6% of their job postings requiring DEI statements, compared to 19% of public universities.

The report noted that “recent laws prohibiting public institutions from requesting DEI statements from applicants for educational roles” have made an impact.

Additionally, former President Donald Trump had enacted several executive orders concerning DEI. One such order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Education to look for potential civil compliance issues within higher education institutions that receive over $1 billion in funding, aiming to devise a plan that would “thwart DEI programs or principles that might lead to illegal discrimination or preferential treatment.”

Interestingly, the analysis highlighted that coastal public universities requested DEI statements significantly more than their counterparts in the Midwest and Southeast. For Baccalaureate Colleges, which primarily grant bachelor’s degrees, the share of job listings that included DEI requests soared to 42.8%.

Examining specific disciplines revealed that 25.5% of job postings in STEM fields required DEI statements, while the humanities and social sciences had slightly lower rates of 23.5% and 24.8%, respectively.

The report pointed out that the presence of DEI in job advertisements might be more widespread than previously thought. Institutions seem to employ DEI in various ways—some ask for a standalone statement, whereas others request that it be included in cover letters or educational philosophies.

In a follow-up, Heterodox Academy did not respond to inquiries for further comments.