University of Wisconsin head DEI official steps down

On June 6, Monica Smith, who served as the chief diversity officer at the University of Wisconsin, stepped down after having worked in the position for only one year.

The President of the UW System, Jay Rothman, revealed that Smith was leaving at a Board of Regents meeting. The University of Richmond announced it will accept Smith as its new vice president for inclusion and belonging, starting Monday. 

Smith previously worked as the first vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Augustana College.

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Smith’s resignation comes in the wake of the Wisconsin Board of Regents’ decision on Dec. 13 to curb DEI roles throughout the UW system, following an agreement with Republican state legislators. 

When Smith was hired, Rothman wrote that her role was to “work closely with university leaders focused on inclusivity and diversity to develop and share best practices to advance our strategic plan, including increasing access to our universities and improving rates of success for historically underserved students,” among other duties. 

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has previously criticized DEI at the University of Wisconsin, with her office stating that UW spends roughly $16 million annually on more than 200 DEI roles. 

“I’ve called for eliminating funding for these positions as our universities have gone from being institutions of higher learning to institutions of indoctrination,” Vos said. “The offices are teaching students to view the world entirely through the lens of race, which only grows the racial divide.”

“Anecdotally I have heard from people who have had to fill out DEI statements to apply for a UW job and graduate students who have had to admit to their white privilege,” Vos continued. “This is preposterous!”

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UW Madison has a dedicated DEI page on its website that states: “We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.”

“We appreciate Monica’s efforts to initiate work consistent with our strategic plan and ongoing commitment to help all our students succeed,” a UW spokesperson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We will continue to work with our university leaders to focus on inclusivity and diversity. We wish Monica well in her new position.”

Campus Reform has contacted the University of Wisconsin and Monica Smith for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.