{"id":2225080,"date":"2024-04-19T10:14:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T14:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dei-jobs-policies-being-eliminated-at-texas-universities-to-comply-with-new-law\/"},"modified":"2024-04-19T10:18:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T14:18:01","slug":"dei-jobs-policies-being-eliminated-at-texas-universities-to-comply-with-new-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dei-jobs-policies-being-eliminated-at-texas-universities-to-comply-with-new-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas universities are removing DEI jobs and policies to adhere to recent legislation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdei-jobs-policies-being-eliminated-at-texas-universities-to-comply-with-new-law%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2225080&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Texas higher education universities are eliminating diversity, equity,\u200b and inclusion jobs and policies to comply with a new law (SB 17). The law prohibits DEI practices, \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-supreme-court-lets-trans-students-using-opposite-sex-bathrooms-ruling-stand\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Supreme Court Lets Trans Students Using Opposite Sex Bathrooms Ruling Stand\">including discrimination based<\/a> on race, ethnicity, or\u2064 gender. \u200dThe legislation has led to layoffs and closures of DEI offices at various \u200dinstitutions, sparking controversy and opposition\u200c among university staff and stakeholders. The recent implementation of Texas law SB 17 \u200dhas compelled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-what-each-of-bidens-42-executive-orders-will-actually-do\/\" title=\"Here\u2019s What Each Of Biden\u2019s 42 Executive Orders Will Actually Do\">higher education institutions<\/a> to discontinue \u2064diversity, equity, and \u200dinclusion practices to \u2064avoid discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or gender. \u2063This shift has resulted in layoffs and \u200bclosures of\u200b DEI offices, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/class-action-settlement-what-to-know-about-the-3-6-million-spartan-mosquito-repellent-settlement\/\" title=\".6 million Spartan Mosquito repellent settlement: Key details\">causing significant controversy<\/a> and resistance\u200c among university personnel and interested parties.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>(The Center Square) \u2013 Diversity, equity and inclusion jobs and policies are are being eliminated at Texas higher education universities as administrators begin complying with a new law that went into effect this year.<\/p>\n<p>SB 17, filed by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, bans DEI policies at higher education institutions. When introducing the bill last year, Creighton pointed to hiring policies at Texas A&#038;M University and Texas Tech, which he said appeared to violate federal law, The Center Square <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/texas\/article_307124ec-e069-11ed-8e2f-ebeed49b8b11.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a><\/strong>. His bill passed the legislature last year and Gov. Greg Abbott <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/texas\/article_dd0fc6b4-0b0b-11ee-8793-2fec2be16462.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed<\/a><\/strong> it into law last June.<\/p>\n<p>The new law requires state-funded colleges and universities in Texas to close all DEI offices, end all activities that discriminate against students based on race, ethnicity or gender, and eliminate diversity statements for job applicants and all mandatory DEI training. It went into effect Jan. 1.<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick identified oversight of the ban as one of 57 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/texas\/article_7fd06948-f829-11ee-a89d-9b57a45570d7.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">interim charges<\/a><\/strong> for the legislature to address this year. In March, Creighton sent a letter to university chancellors and regents explaining the oversight processes and gave them a compliance deadline of May 3.<\/p>\n<p>Creighton expressed concerns about noncompliance, saying, \u201cWhile I am encouraged with the progress I have seen from many institutions of higher education and implementing SB17, I am deeply concerned with the possibility that many institutions may choose to merely rename their offices or employee titles. This letter should serve as notice that this practice is unacceptable \u2013 and also a reminder that SB17 encompasses stringent enforcement provisions, including the potential freezing of university funding and legal ramifications for noncompliance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before the law passed, some higher education institutions were proactively embracing DEI and some faculty were claiming they would still teach it or incorporate it under a different name, The Center Square <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/texas\/article_a096399a-c9b9-11ed-b623-5b72b26f083d.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a><\/strong>. After the law was passed, UT Dallas President Richard Benson \u201csaid no DEI employees would lose their jobs, and promised a commitment to DEI goals,\u201d KERA News <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/education\/2024-01-02\/dei-programs-are-now-gone-from-texas-universities-how-are-schools-adapting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>However, after Creighton\u2019s letter was sent last month, universities began announcing DEI-related layoffs and office closures, including Texas\u2019 largest university, the University of Texas at Austin. The termination notices sent shockwaves throughout academia, including among those who openly opposed it and appear to have previously expressed they were immune from it.<\/p>\n<p>UT Austin reportedly sent 90-day termination notices this month to 62 professional staff working in DEI. Administrators also closed UT Austin\u2019s Department of Community and Campus Engagement.<\/p>\n<p>The American Association of University Professors at UT Austin issued a statement saying the \u201cadministration refuses to provide the number of employees who were fired\u201d but that it compiled a list based on termination notices from staff.<\/p>\n<p>On April 11, it issued another statement and published an example of a termination letter, saying it was sent \u201cwithout warning and came as a complete shock. The letter gives no reason for the termination nor acknowledges the work the staff member had done to comply with SB 17. The letter does not acknowledge that they had been promised that they would not lose their jobs. The staff member received no due process prior\u201d and \u201cthe notice does not describe the options for due process for the staff member such as an appeal or grievance. There is no severance package.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>UT Austin President Jay Hartzell explained that despite closing the DCCE, remaining programs were being redistributed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis means that we will continue to operate many programs with rich history spanning decades,\u201d he said, adding that they would be part of other divisions.<\/p>\n<p>Hartzell\u00a0also said funding used to support DEI across campus prior to SB17 going into effect would be \u201credeployed to support teaching and research. A small number of staff roles across campus that were formally focused on DEI will no longer be funded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Benson announced UT Dallas was eliminating 20 DEI positions.<\/p>\n<p>Creighton told The Center Square the announcements were a positive sign, demonstrating that UT administrators \u201care taking steps to ensure compliance with SB 17 \u2013 the strongest ban on DEI in the nation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile any decision to release staff members is a difficult one, the efficiencies gained, and reinvestment into recruiting a diverse blend of students and professors, based upon merit, are of the highest priority. DEI has produced less diversity, divided students, and mandated political loyalty oaths before anyone gets an interview. It\u2019s been a failed experiment that threatens free speech and is a drag on research and innovation at many of our best colleges and universities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow that we are in a new era, Texas taxpayer funded higher education can return to a merit-based framework that will better serve their students and faculty.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas universities are eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs and policies to comply with a new law. SB 17, introduced by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, prohibits DEI policies in higher education institutions. This action follows the law coming into effect this year, impacting administrators across Texas universities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2225081,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24035829914631-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2225080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24035829914631-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2225080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2225081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2225080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2225080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2225080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}