Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) recently requested information from all Florida public colleges related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), specifically asking government institutions to release the costs for such programs.
Many Texas public universities also have DEI-related programs and use taxpayer funding for state universities for DEI. Research found that DEI-related language has significantly increased within STEM subjects at universities nationwide.
"The fight to save higher education is critical, and Gov. Ron DeSantis is acting boldly to refocus Florida's public institutions on academics and truth. Universities should deliver an education — not an agenda — and prepare students for a successful future in the real world," Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis, tweeted Jan. 6.
On Dec. 28, DeSantis sent a letter to the Florida Department of Education requesting information “regarding the expenditure of state resources on programs and initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory.” The letter requested each school under the state university system report and submit any information, including costs, to the office of the governor.
According to National Review, the University of Michigan’s DEI branch employs more than 142 staff and will spend $18 million on salaries this year. National Review equates this number to the cost of in-state tuition for 1,075 students. The DEI staff at the University of Michigan has continually grown in the last five years; in 2018, there were only 82 staff employed in the DEI office.
According to a quantitative study report by the National Association of Scholars on DEI in STEM subjects at American universities, “DEI ideology has spread aggressively,” including influencing the STEM departments. The study found that DEI “indicators linked with STEM” rose 2,600% in the last ten years primarily due to government spending. The study analyzed the top 100 research universities, including websites, twitter accounts, programs of academic association, grants that are funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation, and scientific publication. All five of these categories saw an increase in DEI-related language, according to the study’s findings.
According to previous reporting by the Lone Star Standard, schools within the University of Texas System have implemented DEI-related language, program and hiring in both fiscal years 2021 and 2022. UT Tyler hired faculty with the intention of increasing “diverse voices” and spent approximately $40,000 on “DEI practices, training, hiring and other programs.”
University of Texas, El Paso, is on course to hire faculty for DEI roles, as well as hold “inclusion trainings” and other DEI-related events and groups. Similarly, Texas A&M University has started DEI programs and hiring through its ACES program, which received $2 million in funding last year. A 2021 report from the Texas A&M Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion said, “As an institution, Texas A&M has added a mandatory question to faculty and staff applications regarding ways they will work to value DEI for applicants."
