University of Michigan says it will 'no longer solicit' diversity statements for faculty employment
The University of Michigan announced Thursday it will "no longer solicit" diversity statements for faculty hiring, promotion or tenure.
The University of Michigan announced it will “no longer solicit” diversity statements for faculty hiring, promotion or tenure.
The decision, made by University of Michigan Provost Laurie McCauley on Thursday morning, comes after a faculty working group at the institution recommended that diversity statements shouldn’t be used, as they can “limit freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus.”
“Diversity, equity and inclusion are three of our core values at the university. Our collective efforts in this area have produced important strides in opening opportunities for all people,” McCauley said. “As we pursue this challenging and complex work, we will continuously refine our approach.”
McCauley initially tasked the working group to study the usage of diversity statements in faculty hiring and promotion at the University of Michigan in June. The working group administered a faculty survey on diversity statements that received almost 2,000 responses.
According to the press release, most faculty who tool the survey “agreed that diversity statements put pressure on faculty to express specific positions on moral, political or social issues.”
A slight majority of those who responded also agreed that diversity statements don’t actually demonstrate “a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by cultivating DEI in the faculty.”
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DEI at the University of Michigan has come under increased scrutiny after an investigation by the New York Times revealed that the institution has spent almost a quarter-billion dollars on DEI-related issues since 2016.
