US EditionUC abandons its ‘diversity statement’ requirement for faculty
- In 1950, the California Legislature passed the Levering Act, a symbol of the state's post-World War II political orientation, which demanded loyalty oaths.
- 75 years later, UC abandoned its diversity statement requirement, implemented to help underrepresented ethnic and racial groups achieve parity, which critics had labeled a political litmus test.
- This decision at UC follows Donald Trump's declared war on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, including threats to cut federal funding for programs maintaining such policies.
- UC Provost Katherine S. Newman communicated in a letter to campus provosts that the diversity statement requirement might cause applicants to focus on aspects outside their expertise, while the regents stated, "our values and commitment to our mission have not changed."
- The NIH quietly posted new measures on a grants webpage stating that diversity plans are not required and will be ignored if submitted, leading to concerns that research and the racial makeup of trainees will be negatively impacted, potentially resulting in a less diverse academy.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Liberals Should Celebrate End of Diversity Statements
Amid the Trump administration's assault on higher education and academic freedom - shaking down institutions like Columbia, targeting pro-Palestinian scholars and students for deportation and dispatching chilling letters meant to silence dissent - last week brought an unexpected but welcome development: The University of California announced its campuses will no longer be able to require diversity statements in hiring.
Whittier Daily News
The Press-EnterpriseUC’s diversity statement rule was Orwellian
The University of California system has wisely decided this month to end its requirement that faculty job applicants submit a “diversity statement.” While it’s a reasonable goal to expect a university to be sensitive to the wide range of ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds reflected in its study body, these statements had a noxious political tinge—and correctly reminded some commentators of Joseph McCarthy-era loyalty oaths. This requiremen…
Los Angeles Times
DNyuzContributor: Why liberals should celebrate the end of diversity statements at UC
The Trump administration's horrific war on higher education evokes the McCarthyist purges of the mid-20th century. But diversity statements are just another loyalty oath.
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