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The University of Michigan is reviewing potential changes to its diversity program, which is known for its strong support of diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.). This reconsideration comes as critics raise concerns about the program’s effectiveness and influence on campus culture.
Written by Nicholas Confessore
The University of Michigan is considering making changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion program in response to the upcoming second term of President Donald J. Trump and potential threats to these initiatives from the Republican party in government and academia. Michigan has a strong history of supporting diversity in higher education.
Members of the board in charge of the university mentioned in interviews that they anticipate the board will propose restrictions on diversity statements when making decisions about hiring and promotions. Additionally, the board might consider reallocating a larger portion of Michigan’s D.E.I. budget towards recruitment initiatives and ensuring tuition support for students from lower-income backgrounds.
Michigan is considering changes that would make it one of the first selective public universities to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) without being forced to do so by legislation. The board overseeing the university is mainly made up of Democrats, who are elected by voters in the state and typically make decisions through agreement. According to Michigan’s state constitution, the regents have the final say on the university’s finances and are responsible for monitoring the school overall.
The next meeting of the regents is scheduled for December 5th. However, recent conversations between the regents and university officials have faced strong opposition from the Michigan campus community. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) administrators are working to defend their work and secure their funding amidst criticism.
A rally took place on Monday at the Ann Arbor campus, where hundreds of supporters of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) came together.
One of the speakers, Pragya Choudhary, a junior, expressed that she believes no one in the audience believes the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the university are flawless. However, she is confident that everyone present understands that without these initiatives, the university would be in a worse state.
Discussions on campus have highlighted a lack of clarity about the purpose and goals of the D.E.I. program, as well as the intentions of the regents. Certain faculty and students have expressed concerns that the regents may completely cut funding for the school’s D.E.I. initiatives, although this extreme action does not seem to be on the table. There have also been allegations against the regents for allegedly considering cutting the Go Blue Guarantee, a program that covers full tuition for lower-income students from Michigan. However, the regents have clarified that their goal is to actually expand the Go Blue Guarantee, not reduce it.
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