University of Florida eliminates all DEI-related positions
The University of Florida has terminated all positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion at the school in accordance with new state rules, according to a university memo released Friday.
The move comes nearly a year after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that largely banned the state’s public universities and colleges from spending federal or state money on DEI initiatives. In accordance with that law, so does the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System of Florida voted to ban state spending about such programs at public universities.
The University of Florida’s terminations include closing the office of the Chief Diversity Officer and ending all DEI contracts with third-party vendors, according to the announcement on Friday. Thirteen full-time positions were eliminated, along with administrative appointments for 15 faculty members, a university spokeswoman said in an email.
The university is just the latest school in the state to eliminate DEI programs. Both the University of North Florida and Florida International University have already ended or begun phasing out such programs.
Last year, Florida became one of the first states to enact laws limiting or eliminating DEI initiatives. That prompted other Republican-led states to follow suit, including Texas, where a ban on DEI initiatives and offices at publicly funded universities and colleges took effect Jan. 1. In Utah, the governor signed a bill last month that would require DEI programs at state universities and in state government. And the Alabama legislature is considering similar legislation.
Universities across the country have dramatically expanded diversity programs in recent decades due to concerns about underrepresentation on campus. DEI advocates have said the initiatives are a good way to promote inclusivity and help students of all backgrounds succeed on campus.
But recently, DEI efforts have become the focus of a culture war and part of conservatives’ fight against “wokeism.” Critics say the programs discriminate against those who may be excluded in an effort to boost representation of other groups and aim to promote left-wing ideas about gender and race.
Under Florida regulationstate universities are prohibited from using public funds to “advocate” DEI initiatives, which is defined as “any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals based on race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and promotes a differential or preferential treatment of individuals based on such classification.”
On Friday, the University of Florida said it would reallocate the approximately $5 million in funds previously reported for DEI expenses into a faculty recruitment fund.
The university added that the laid-off employees will receive 12 weeks of pay. It encouraged them to apply for various positions within the school and said they would receive “expedited consideration.”
“The University of Florida is — and always will be — steadfast in its commitment to universal human dignity,” school officials said. “As we educate students by carefully engaging a diverse range of ideas and viewpoints, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of the Gator Nation.”
Conservatives in the state praised the university’s decision.
“Florida is where DEI goes to die,” Mr. DeSantis wrote on social media. Sen. Rick Scott also praised the school’s president, Ben Sasse, on social media. He said Mr. Sasse, a former U.S. senator from Nebraska, “continues to do all the right things” at the university. “Every university should follow his example,” Mr Scott said.
Those who support DEI programs lamented the university’s move.
State Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson, a Democrat who represents Gainesville, said in a speech rack that she was “stunned but not surprised” by the elimination of her alma mater’s DEI staff.
And Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, warned that the impact of the decision ‘will be felt for generations’.