University of South Carolina required students to pass DEI assessment to register for courses
The mandatory DEI training module was one module of multiple that students were forced to comply with to register for fall classes, and was issued to student by USC’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Education Office.
One question in the module told students that DEI values create a “healthy” and “positive” atmosphere for students on campus.
The University of South Carolina required its students to affirm diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values in mandatory training modules for students over this previous summer to enroll and register for classes.
In a report from The Washington Free Beacon, students who took a mandatory training module were told their answers were “incorrect” if they answered that DEI values don’t create an environment on campus that is “healthy” or “positive.”
The module was set to have a correct answer that stated: “Diversity and inclusion exposes students to people from different backgrounds, thus enriching the overall campus experience.”
For students to pass the final assessment in the module on “Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging for Students” they were required to score 80% or higher on the 10 question exam.
In an email that students received from the University of South Carolina, they were told that “[t]he University of South Carolina is pleased to offer online education requirements as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and healthy community.”
The email continued, stating that “[u]ndergraduate students are required to complete AlcoholEdu, Sexual Assault Prevention, Mental Well-Being, and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, in accordance with federal mandates.”
Any student within USC who is a “first year freshman, transfer students, change of campus, Gamecock Gateway, Pathways, and readmits who did not complete the courses when enrolled previously” were required to complete the training.
The email outlines that students were eligible to begin the training one month before the first day of classes, and a second part of the training 45 days after completing the first part.
The training was conducted by the Substance Abuse Prevention and Education Office at the University of South Carolina.
An additional question in the training tells students that they should “[r]esearch online to educate yourself on whether or not it’s appropriate” to wear a costume that could be considered “cultural appropriation” when invited to a costume party.
Another question in the final assessment module also asks students to focus on a hypothetical history class were they noticed “the experience of the LGBTQIA+ community was not taught to you before your undergraduate studies.” The exam asked students to answer why they think it might be the case.
The correct answer stated that a reason could be because “[h]istory is frequently told through the lens of those in charge rather than those from marginalized identity groups.”
A spokesman for the University of South Carolina told the Washington Free Beacon that the diversity training was “optional, not mandatory.”
However, according to the report, USC sent emails to students warning them that “registration holds will take effect if you do not complete” the training.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of South Carolina for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
