The Texas A&M system has stopped diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statements from the hiring process to recruit “the brightest and most qualified students, faculty and staff,” Chancellor John Sharp told KHOU 11.
Texas A&M is following the University of Texas System in stopping their employment and hiring policies related to DEI. Both university systems are responding to a directive from Gov. Greg Abbott that required the systems to review all hiring policies.
“Given the clear legislative focus, we have paused any new DEI policies on our campuses and have asked for reports on current policies on our campuses,” Chairman Kevin Eltlife of the UT System said at a recent board meeting, adding that this is giving the board a chance to review the policies.
Sharp has directed 11 universities and eight agencies to not ask job applicants for statements about DEI, according to a report by The Eagle. He directed university leaders in the A&M system that no university or agency in the system will admit students or hire an employee based on factors other than merit. The changes were already underway in universities like Texas A&M, which had told departments not to require diversity statements in job postings.
The Eagle reported that Republican lawmakers in Texas, and other conservative advocates, criticize DEI as a “political litmus test” requiring people to adhere to progressive political views. They feel that it suppresses some types of free speech and also prioritizes social justice over merit and achievement. Some lawmakers have tried for DEI policies to be removed from hiring at universities, including proposing legislation prohibiting the creation of DEI offices, as well as stopping universities from making policies or training based on race, color, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Other universities around the country have committed to increasing DEI, on the other hand.
According to the Eagle report, Texas A&M hasn’t considered race since 2003 in regard to student admissions.
In October 2022, the Austin Journal reported that Texas A&M University Faculty Senate voted to support the Accountability, Climate, Equity and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellows Program – a DEI initiative. This focuses on connecting early career faculty with disciplinary units on campus, according to the Texas A&M Office for Diversity website. A recent lawsuit accused the program as being unlawful, but faculty senators still voted 54-12 in favor of the ACES program.
The DEI Committee at Texas A&M released a report showing that the campus was not diverse enough in hiring faculty between 2015 and 2019. The university responded with a mandatory question to faculty and staff applications regarding how they will work to value DEI. The ACES program was given $2 million in funds by the university but it is unclear if the program will expand to all Texas A&M campuses, the Austin Journal report stated.
