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University of Michigan is considering making changes to its diversity program, which is known for being one of the leading supporters of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. Critics have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the program and its impact on campus life.
Written by Nicholas Confessore
The University of Michigan is considering making changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion program in response to potential challenges from the Trump administration and Republican opposition to these initiatives in both government and academia. Michigan is known for its strong support of diversity in higher education.
Members of the university’s governing body expressed their intention to propose restrictions on the use of diversity statements in the hiring and promotion process. Additionally, they are considering reallocating funds from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion budget towards recruitment initiatives and financial aid for students from lower-income backgrounds in Michigan.
Michigan is considering changes that would position it as one of the first selective public universities to reassess its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) internally rather than in response to legislative pressure. The board overseeing the university, which is elected by state voters and usually makes decisions through agreement, is primarily composed of Democrats with a 6-2 majority. According to Michigan’s state constitution, the regents have the final authority over the university’s finances and are responsible for overseeing the school in general.
The next meeting of the regents is scheduled for December 5th. However, there has been strong opposition on the Michigan campus in response to initial conversations between the regents and other university officials. Administrators focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) have launched a campaign to defend their work and maintain their funding amidst criticism.
Hundreds of individuals who support diversity, equity, and inclusion came together on the Ann Arbor campus for a rally on Monday.
One of the speakers, Pragya Choudhary, a junior, stated that she believes no one in the audience thinks the D.E.I. initiatives at the university are flawless. However, she emphasized that everyone present acknowledges that the university would be in a worse state without those initiatives.
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 are concerned that the regents may completely stop funding the school’s D.E.I. initiatives, although this drastic measure does not seem to be on the table. There are also accusations against the regents for allegedly planning to eliminate the school’s Go Blue Guarantee, which covers full tuition for lower-income students from Michigan. However, the regents have stated that they actually aim to increase the availability of this program.
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