University System of Georgia curbs DEI, adopts institutional neutrality, strengthens First Amendment rights in new changes
‘All admissions processes and decisions shall be free of ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths, including diversity statements,’ the new policy states.
The new policy also requires new students to study America’s founding documents.
The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents has adopted a swath of changes to fight back against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology and to strengthen academic integrity across its campuses.
Steve McGuire, Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, reported on the changes on X on Saturday, sharing pictures of the changed policies.
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“All admissions processes and decisions shall be free of ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths, including diversity statements. No applicant for admission shall be asked to or required to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about political beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles, as a condition for admission,” the new regulations read.
The revisions also clarify that the university cannot discriminate in order to push anyone to “support . . . or [oppose] . . . any political campaign or candidate for political office, political party, or political organization.”
The Board of Regents also determined that the University System of Georgia should adopt a more meritocratic hiring policy, only accepting applicants because of their “knowledge, skills, and abilities” instead of on the basis of any DEI principles. Faculty already on payroll will be “evaluated based on the merits of their performance and qualifications,” such as their research and teaching ability.
The new changes also require student orientations to adopt the System’s “free expression policies and procedures” and training to promote “civil discourse, open inquiry, robust debate, intellectual diversity, and respect for others.” The revisions will liberate university trainings for both “students and employees” from DEI limitations and other “ideological tests.”
Although the university system’s individual employees are “encouraged to exercise their First Amendment rights,” the University System of Georgia’s schools will no longer be allowed to comment institutionally on potentially controversial issues, with the new policy stating: “USG institutions shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission.”
The document also clarifies that employees cannot use “USG or other public resources” to support “political activities.”
Finally, students who start attending the University System of Georgia’s campuses in 2025 and onwards will need to become familiar with American founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, as well as other historical texts such as the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation.
In a statement shared with Campus Reform, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia said: “Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of USG. The proposed revisions among other things would make clear that student admissions and employee hiring should be based on a person’s qualifications, not his or her beliefs.”
The statement continued: “Colleges and universities not only equip students for the jobs of tomorrow, they also must prepare them to be contributing members of society and to understand the ideals of freedom and democracy that make America so exceptional. As such, the proposed policy changes strengthen the requirements for civics instruction across the system by including foundational primary sources such as the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, The Georgia Constitution, the Federalist Papers and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
The statement concluded: “These proposed updates strengthen USG’s academic communities. They allow institutions to foster a campus environment where people have the freedom to share their thoughts and learn from one another through objective scholarship and inquiry. They reflect an unyielding obligation to protect freedom, provide quality higher education and promote student success.”
Campus Reform has reached out to the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
