University of Utah eliminates DEI office, offers guidelines to comply with new law

Ahead of July 1, the implementation date of a Utah bill overhauling diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state schools and other public entities, the University of Utah is eliminating its Division of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and providing guidelines with administrative policies to comply with the law. 

The school’s EDI office will be eliminated on July 1, according to a news release, and its staff will be reassigned to other school offices. Full-time EDI employees may change job titles and broaden job descriptions to accommodate the change. 

“Many student support staffers will shift to positions in Student Affairs. Communications and marketing staff will move to University Marketing and Communications,” according to the release. “And Vice President Mary Ann Villarreal will become a special advisor to (University of Utah President Taylor) Randall.”

Student resource centers will be reorganized under the Student Affairs division and the U. vowed to “continue to celebrate all students and their unique life experiences, belief systems and heritages.”

“The unique life experiences and perspectives of our students, faculty and staff matter. These identities are what make the University of Utah a vibrant space for learning, teaching, conducting research and providing exceptional patient care,” Randall said in a statement on the new campus EDI guidance. “Our work is done one by one, with attention to individual needs — as we are each responsible for making the university a place where everyone can thrive.”

The change comes after the Utah Legislature approved HB261, or Equal Opportunity Initiatives, a bill that banned public institutions from maintaining certain DEI policies or offices, including asking for DEI statements in hiring practices and certain training “that promotes differential treatment,” according to the bill.

Identity-based clubs or resource centers are allowed under the law as long as they are available to all students. “Rather than defining those served at the centers by race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation or identity, student resource centers will be open to all,” the release reads. The American Indian Resource Center, Black Cultural Center, Center for Equity and Student Belonging, and Dream Center will also start to report through Student Affairs.

Randall and other U. leaders met with legislators to advocate on behalf of the university and its people, according to the release. 

“What I learned, and what the data demonstrates,” Randall said, “is that higher education has lost confidence among many of our stakeholders. They want us to listen and I have made the promise to do just that.” 

The state’s flagship university will update lawmakers about the issues raised as the bill is implemented. But, in the meantime, Randall advised faculty and staff to avoid self-censoring.

“While the law restricts certain policies, activities and initiatives related to equity, diversity and inclusion, it also protects and even strengthens academic freedom, classroom instruction, research and accreditation,” the release reads.

The legislation doesn’t restrict recruitment either, so the university can continue reaching out to diverse populations to advertise and recruit. 

Though final hiring and admission decisions must be based on best qualifications and may not consider a candidate’s race, ethnicity or other identity traits, the university “may continue to evaluate whether the demographic makeup of a hiring pool is in line with expected demographics. If hiring pools are not reflective of expected demographics, searches may be canceled and reposted.” The university won’t allow quotas or specific metrics to evaluate hiring pools.

However, the school stopped using diversity statements in the hiring process on Jan. 8, right after Gov. Spencer Cox said he had the appetite to sign a bill that would restrict DEI practices. 

“These diversity statements that you have to sign to get hired, I think that’s awful, I mean, bordering on evil that we’re forcing people into a political framework before they can even apply for a job,” he said in his December PBS Utah news conference, ahead of the 2024 Legislative session. 

The university also released an administrative guidance, which instructs staffers on the applications of the law. 

The school should avoid the full phrase “diversity, equity and inclusion” in connection with any policy, practice, program, office, initiative or required training, the guide reads. It should also avoid using the DEI phrase in any settings that could be construed as “practices” or “initiatives.”

“The University encourages personnel to focus on framing programs in terms of success — student success, faculty success, staff success, and community success,” the guide reads. “Specific examples of words that might be appropriate based on the endeavor’s goals include: ‘equal opportunity,’ ‘all backgrounds,’ ‘social mobility,’ ‘student wellbeing, ‘differing viewpoints,’ and ‘belonging.’”