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The University of Michigan is considering making changes to its diversity program, which is known for being a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. Critics are challenging the program’s effectiveness and influence on campus culture.
Written by Nicholas Confessore
The University of Michigan, known for its strong support of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in higher education, is considering making changes to its own program. This comes as colleges nationwide prepare for Donald J. Trump’s second presidency and potential challenges to these initiatives by Republicans in government and academia.
Members of the board in charge of the university expressed their intention to put restrictions on diversity statements in hiring and promotions. They are also considering reallocating more funds from Michigan’s D.E.I. budget towards recruitment initiatives and tuition assistance for students with lower incomes.
Michigan is considering changes that would make it one of the first selective public universities to reevaluate diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) internally, rather than in response to legislative pressure. The board of regents, elected by state voters, has a 6-2 majority of Democrats and typically makes decisions through consensus. Michigan’s state constitution gives the regents authority over the university’s finances and general supervision of the institution.
The board of regents will convene on December 5th for their next meeting. However, there has been strong resistance on the University of Michigan’s campus in response to preliminary conversations between the regents and other university leaders. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) administrators have launched a campaign to address criticism of their efforts and protect their funding.
A large group of supporters of diversity, equity, and inclusion gathered on the Ann Arbor campus for a rally on Monday.
During the speech, a junior named Pragya Choudhary mentioned that she believes no one in the audience thinks the D.E.I. initiatives at the university are flawless. However, she also stated that everyone present understands 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 cut funding for the school’s D.E.I. initiatives, although this extreme measure does not seem to be on the table. There are also criticisms against the regents for allegedly considering cutting the Go Blue Guarantee, which covers full tuition for lower-income students from Michigan. However, the regents have stated that they actually plan to expand this program.
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