UNC Wilmington becomes latest UNC campus to alter DEI office
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has decided to close its office dedicated to DEI following a policy change by the UNC System Board of Governors earlier this year.
The announcement was made in a campus-wide message sent out by UNC Wilmington Chancellor Aswani Volety on Aug. 8.
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has decided to close its office dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) following a policy change by the UNC System Board of Governors earlier this year.
The announcement was made in a campus-wide message sent out by UNC Wilmington Chancellor Aswani Volety on Aug. 8.
“[T]he Board of Governos repealed and replaced Section 300.8.5 of the UNC Policy Manual to reaffirm the university system’s commitment to nondiscrimination, equality of opportunity, institutional neutrality, academic freedom and student success,” Chancellor Volety explained. “Based on policy requirements and consistent with System Office guidance, UNCW will close the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), eliminate the Chief Diversity Officer position and shift the cultural and identity centers from OIDI to Student Affairs.”
According to the message, the school will maintain multiple cultural and identity centers, including the Upperman African American Cultural Center, the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Center, Centro Hispano, and the Asian Heritage Cultural Center.
The purposes and priorities of these centers, however, will alter following the university’s DEI reform. “Some aspects of their staffing and programming will change to comply with the policy requirements and enhance their fit within Student Affairs,” Volety wrote.
UNC Wilmington is not the first campus in the UNC system to make such moves concerning DEI offices. In May, UNC Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees voted to move $2.3 million from DEI initiatives to campus security.
“My personal opinion is that there’s administrative bloat in the university. … Any cuts in administration and diverting of dollars to rubber-meets-the-road efforts like public safety and teaching is important,” Board Chair David Boliek told The News & Observer at the time.
Campus Reform also reported last month that campuses within the UNC system have been required to review their DEI policies following the board of governors’ vote to cut DEI initiatives.
The UNC System’s Division of Legal Affairs sent a letter asking each institution to report on changes that have been made with regards to job descriptions and spending.
“The actual work of the University must return to advancing the academic success of students with different backgrounds not different political causes — job titles and responsibilities should follow suit,” the letter explained.
“Campuses should reject the premise that making a public statement is the only way to support a particular group of students,” the document continued. “If a campus chooses to speak in support of its students, the statements should focus on just that — the affected students — without delving into political, policy, or social advocacy.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of North Carolina at Wilmington for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
