The University of Texas at Dallas (UT) will close its diversity, equality, and inclusion offices in accordance with state legislation, according to a university notice.
In order to comply with Texas Senate Bill 17, the Office of Campus Resources and Support (OCRS) will stop operations.
“As a result, effective April 30, 2024, the Office of Campus Resources and Support (OCRS) and approximately 20 associated jobs will be eliminated,” President Dr. Richard C. Benson stated in a letter posted on the school’s website.
UT Dallas notes that all services for the disabled will continue.
“A limited number of functions will be moved to other administrative units to ensure continuity of services to our students, faculty and staff,” Benson said in a statement.
Benson went on to remark, “I understand that many members of our campus community will be disappointed with this decision. I am still committed to ensuring that UT Dallas remains a supportive community dedicated to producing the information, research, and people needed for our future.”
The news comes after UT Austin faced criticism from students over the decision to comply with state law.
One of the students chastised the school for siding with the “extremist Texan government” and referred to the layoffs of DEI employees as “wrongful termination.”
“State efforts to undermine initiatives that seek to uplift and protect marginalized groups have no place on our campus,” Maddox Réal (class of 2026) told Fox News Digital.
Last week, UT stated that it had fired off scores of staff who worked in its DEI programs in order to comply with a new state rule. According to the Austin American-Statesman, a person familiar with the incident stated that 60 DEI-related positions at UT-Austin were removed. That did not necessarily imply that 60 people were fired from the university, as these positions have occasionally served as multiple duties for staff.
The law requires all governing boards of public colleges and universities to ensure that their institutions prohibit the construction and operation of a DEI office, as well as the issuance of “DEI Statements.” Furthermore, DEI assertions can no longer be used in hiring practices or training.
The institutions vacated DEI offices under pressure from Republican State Sen. Brandon Creighton, who detailed expectations for how universities will comply with state legislation. He issued a letter emphasizing the gravity of the bill, stating that it “mandates a fundamental shift in the operation of our higher education institutions.” He also stated that institutions are obliged to provide a “merit-based environment.”
Furthermore, he stated that the Texas Senate Committee on Education plans to host a hearing in May to question chancellors and “general counselors” of higher education institutions about how their universities are complying with the statute. Creighton warned that colleges who fail to comply with state legislation risk losing funds.
Among five specific compliance questions, university spokespeople must explain, “How has your institution ensured that there are no DEI offices or officers on campus, or no individuals or organizations performing the duties of a DEI office or officer?”
Creighton, like other university-level critics of DEI programs, maintained that they were just another kind of discrimination. DEI supporters say that they handle increasingly diverse student populations while also correcting systemic injustices.
Last month, the University of Florida terminated all DEI posts and administrative appointments to comply with a similar state statute.