UVA's DEI staff count higher than previously reported, says watchdog
Updated analysis from Open the Books has found that the University of Virginia’s DEI employee count may be even higher than previously suspected.
Open the Books released a report in March that found that UVA spends approximately $20 million annually on DEI staff positions, employing at least 235 staffers.
Updated analysis from the government transparency nonprofit, Open the Books, has found that the University of Virginia’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) employee count may be even higher than previously suspected.
Open the Books released a report in March that found that UVA spends approximately $20 million annually on DEI staff positions, employing at least 235 employees to work primarily on DEI issues.
However, more recent analysis from Open the Books has found that the number of DEI staff at UVA may be significantly higher than 235.
[RELATED: UVA spends $20 million each year on DEI personnel: report]
On May 21, founder and CEO of Open the Books, Adam Andrzejewski, detailed the results of his non-profit’s recent findings in a piece for City Journal.
“After examining university web posts, we found that UVA has laced even more DEI positions across its departments,” Andrzejewski explained. “We identified more than 100 additional employees across 80 university departments who, in addition to their primary roles at the university, were contributing variously as DEI deans, directors, project leads, coordinators, representatives, fellows, council members, faculty advisors, ex officio members, and even ‘JEDIs’ (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion personnel).”
“These employees are spread across the university,” he continued. “The medical school has more than 20 DEI ‘representatives.’ Engineering has nine DEI ‘directors.’”
Andrzejewski continued to note that several “diversity leaders” are among UVA’s “highest-paid staff,” each receiving more than $250,000 per year.
“These and other diversity champions have a powerful impact on university operations,” Andrzejewski asserted. “The university boasts that those appointed DEI directors are involved in the ‘[h]iring and retention of faculty,’ ‘[u]ndergraduate and graduate student recruitment, retention, and curriculum,’ and ‘[c]ultivating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable departmental climate,’ among other influential tasks.”
After the March report was released, the UVA administration stated that the 235 figure of DEI employees at the school was an “overcount.”
According to Andrzejewski, however, the university has “refused to release factual backup for their claim.”
“When we filed another Freedom of Information Act request, UVA replied—possibly in violation of Virginia’s transparency laws—that ‘[t]he University has no records responsive to your request,’” Andrzejewski wrote.
The database of Open the Books’ analysis of UVA’s DEI staff can be found on the organization’s website.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Virginia for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
