The University of Michigan announced on Thursday that it has eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements from its faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure processes.
Some university community members celebrated the decision to scrap the DEI statements, which individuals were asked to provide to demonstrate what they’ve done and plan to do to advance such policies. They said the statements were used as ideological litmus tests and enforced intellectual conformity.
“I applaud the provost for ending the practice of requiring diversity statements,” said Sarah Hubbard, one of the regents on the eight-person board overseeing the university. “This policy change removes a barrier to diversity of thought on campus by eliminating the ideological litmus test.”
Provost Laurie McCauley announced the decision on Thursday after forming a faculty committee to review the use of diversity statements.
“Critics of diversity statements perceive them as expressions of personal identity traits, support of specific ideology or opinions on socially-relevant issues, and serve as a ‘litmus test’ of whether a faculty member’s views are politically acceptable,” the committee stated in a report. “Thus, as currently enacted, diversity statements have the potential to limit viewpoints and reduce diversity of thought among faculty members.”
While the University of Michigan Board of Regents is set to meet on Thursday, Hubbard says she doesn’t expect it to address any other DEI issues at this time.
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The University of Michigan’s decision follows the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s announcement over the summer that it would discontinue using DEI statements in the hiring process.
“Requests for a statement on diversity will no longer be part of applications for any faculty positions at MIT,” one MIT representative said at the time.
“My goals are to tap into the full scope of human talent, to bring the very best to MIT, and to make sure they thrive once here,” MIT President Sally Kornbluth said. “We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they don’t work.”
Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences also announced this summer that it would discontinue the use of diversity statements in its hiring process.