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The University of Michigan is thinking about making changes to its diversity program, which is known for being one of the largest in higher education. Critics are raising concerns about the program’s effectiveness and its influence on campus culture.
Authored by Nicholas Confessore
The University of Michigan, which strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, is considering making changes to its program in response to the upcoming second term of President Donald J. Trump and potential Republican efforts to undermine these initiatives in government and academia.
Members of the board in charge of the university stated in discussions that they anticipate proposing restrictions on diversity statements in the hiring and promotion process. Additionally, the board may consider reallocating a larger portion of Michigan’s diversity, equity, and inclusion budget towards recruitment initiatives and tuition assistance for students from lower-income backgrounds.
The proposed changes would position Michigan as one of the leading public universities to review diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives internally, rather than in response to legislative demands. The board overseeing the university is mostly made up of Democrats, who are elected by state voters and typically make decisions through agreement. The state constitution of Michigan grants the board of regents significant authority over the university’s financial matters and overall supervision of the institution.
The next meeting of the regents is scheduled for December 5th. However, there has been strong opposition on the Michigan campus recently in response to initial talks between the regents and university officials. Administrators responsible for diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) have launched a campaign to defend their work and secure their funding amidst criticism.
Hundreds of supporters of diversity, equity, and inclusion gathered on the Ann Arbor campus for a rally on Monday.
During a speech, junior Pragya Choudhary acknowledged that the D.E.I. initiatives at the university may not be flawless, but emphasized that everyone present recognizes the importance of these initiatives in making the university a better place.
The discussions have highlighted a general lack of clarity on campus regarding the purpose of the D.E.I. program and the intentions of the regents. Some faculty and students fear that the regents might completely cut funding for the school’s D.E.I. initiatives, although this drastic measure is not currently being considered. There are also concerns that the regents are planning to eliminate the school’s Go Blue Guarantee, which covers full tuition for low-income students from Michigan. However, the regents have stated that they actually aim to expand this program.
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