Study Reveals Universities Are Rebranding DEI Programs Despite Legislative Bans
A recent study has revealed that numerous universities, despite pledging to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, are instead rebranding the initiatives under new names.
CriticalRace.org, a website that tracks Critical Race Theory (CRT) curricula and training at over 700 higher education institutions across the US, found that 10 out of 26 universities in states with legislative efforts to remove DEI have simply replaced these programs with new offices that retain similar goals and personnel.
States such as Alabama, Florida, Idaho, and Iowa have moved to eliminate DEI from higher education, yet many colleges in these states have opened offices like the “Office of Access and Engagement” and the “Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity” to replace DEI departments. These new offices appear to carry on the same initiatives as their predecessors, according to the website’s findings.
William A. Jacobson, a clinical professor of law at Cornell Law School and who founded CriticalRace.org’s database, explained to Fox News that these findings demonstrate how “deeply embedded” CRT and DEI concepts are in higher education.
“The efforts to excise CRT and DEI from universities will take time to see real impact,” Jacobson said. “Higher education has little desire to reform itself, and only a sustained long-term effort will move universities back to the central mission of education, and away from ideological indoctrination.”
According to CriticalRace.org, the universities that have rebranded their DEI initiatives include The University of Alabama, Florida State University, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, Oklahoma State University, South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota, University of Tennessee (System-wide), University of Utah and Utah Valley University.
“For example, the University of Alabama disbanded its DEI office and launched the Division of Opportunities, Connections, and Success; however, the new division is led by Dr. Christine Taylor, who was the Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” the website said in its report.
“Florida State University took a similar approach by changing title names and reclassifying positions of employees who were already working in DEI to give them different roles; the approach circumvented the University laying anyone off,” it continued. “The Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance and Engagement was activated in October 2023 to replace the DEI office.”
Kemberlee Kaye, managing editor of CriticalRace.org, noted that the findings were expected.
“We predicted a year ago after the Supreme Court affirmative action ruling that DEI would not disappear on college campuses but would move underground in a variety of ways. Our research findings confirm our analysis that one time legislative efforts are not sufficient and sustained action is necessary,” Kaye told Fox News.
“This research is imperative to understanding that legislative efforts halting the funding and/or proliferation of DEI/CRT on campus are a solid first step, but they’re not a one-stop solution,” she added.
