The University of North Carolina System Board of Governors on Thursday voted in favor of a new policy that would eliminate previous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mandates for the state’s public universities.
After the vote, about 50 students and other demonstrators gathered outside the UNC System offices in Raleigh, and at least two protesters were arrested. The News & Observer reported.
The 24-member UNC Board of Governors approved an agenda item that included repealing the DEI policy, but two members, Joel Ford and Sonya Nichols, voted against the new measure. The board’s yes vote means the changes will take effect immediately, but the system says the campus changes are expected to occur at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
of policy change Removing a 2019 regulation that outlines various DEI positions, such as a diversity officer across the university system, and also defines the officer’s roles and duties, such as supporting diversity programs and managing staff and student training; is focused on.
UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees votes to eliminate DEI program and defund campus police in response to anti-Israel protests
Nathaniel Dibble, a member of the Young Democratic Socialists of America at North Carolina State University, voices his opposition to repealing the University of North Carolina System’s DEI policy ahead of the Board of Trustees’ vote on Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)
The new policy does not include a summary of responsibilities for DEI personnel and liaison personnel, suggesting that these personnel may be removed. The university system said in a document addressing questions about the policy that its goal is not to reduce staff, but that some positions may be eliminated to comply with the new changes.
According to the agenda, the new policy requires that each person within UNC’s multi-campus system be “treated as an individual deserving of dignity and inclusion.”
“The University shall continue to ensure that diverse people of all backgrounds, both within and outside of North Carolina, are invited, accepted, and treated equally,” the document states. “Diversity means that individuals are different and includes, but is not limited to, backgrounds, beliefs, perspectives, abilities, cultures, and traditions that distinguish individuals from other individuals.”
The elimination of the DEI requirement still maintains that UNC’s hiring practices and the delivery of its educational programs and activities “must continue to comply with federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment against members of any protected class, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” the agenda states.
The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Governors will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the UNC School Leadership Development Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The meeting came days after the board voted to cut $2.3 million in diversity spending and reallocate it to public safety. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)
Anti-Israel protesters gather at UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor’s office, smearing the building with red paint
“Campuses shall welcome, accommodate, and assist qualified students from all backgrounds in completing their degree or certificate while ensuring that employee wellness remains a priority,” the new policy reads. “Campuses shall continue to implement programming or services designed to positively impact the academic achievement, retention, or graduation of students from diverse backgrounds, provided that the programming complies with the organizational neutrality specified in Section VII of this policy and/or other state and federal requirements.”
Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill raise the American flag during a protest on campus, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Anti-Israel agitators replaced the American flag with the Palestinian flag during the demonstration. (Parker Ali/Daily Tar Heel)
Earlier this month, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees voted to eliminate the school’s DEI program and reallocate $2.3 million in funding to police and public safety programs. At least one board member argued for the need to support law enforcement, citing anti-Israel demonstrators who have clashed with police on campus, while others said the changes would reduce bureaucracy. He said it would be reduced.
The UNC Board of Trustees oversees all 17 public universities in the state.
A five-member board committee had already voted to repeal and replace the DEI policy last month, but the full 24-member board needed a vote for the repeal to take effect.
UNC System Chancellor Peter Hans said in remarks at Thursday’s conference that while students and faculty should confront “competing ideas,” the role of public universities is to remain neutral in “political controversy.” He said that.
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“The university does not agree on anything, so no one can speak for the entire university community on contentious issues,” Hans said.
Hans said in the weeks leading up to the vote he spoke with members of the UNC Faculty Council, as well as students and staff, who expressed concerns about how the policy change would affect diversity. He said he remains committed to welcoming diversity in the system’s schools.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
