University of Wisconsin board reverses course and takes deal to cut DEI staff
Jeremiah Poff
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The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents abruptly changed course Wednesday and approved a deal with state Republican lawmakers to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in exchange for funds for new buildings and salary raises.
In an 11-6 vote, the university’s board reversed a vote it had taken over the weekend rejecting the deal. Under the terms of the agreement, the University of Wisconsin system will freeze all hiring for diversity, equity, and inclusion positions and shift the focus of more than 40 current DEI employees to “student success.” In return, Republicans in the state legislature have agreed to provide funds for staff salary raises and $200 million for constructing new buildings and remodeling current ones. The agreement also bans the use of diversity statements in student applications.
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The board vote is a massive win for the Republican-controlled state legislature, which has repeatedly pushed to cut down on DEI initiatives in the university system but has faced stiff resistance from University of Wisconsin administrators.
Three regents who previously opposed the funding agreement flipped by the time the board voted again on Wednesday despite intense opposition from Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI), who urged the regents to hold firm and reject the deal. After the vote, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Wisconsin Republican Speaker of the House Robin Vos said he was glad the board approved the deal.
“We finally have turned the corner and gotten real reforms enacted,” Vos said. “Republicans know this is just the first step in what will be our continuing efforts to eliminate these cancerous DEI practices on UW campuses.”
https://twitter.com/repvos/status/1735102299498762287
In a statement following the regent’s vote, Evers called the agreement a “vast overreach by a group of Republicans who’ve grown exceedingly comfortable overextending, manipulating, and abusing their power to control, subvert, and obstruct basic functions of government.”
“This exercise has been about one thing—the relentless political tantrums, ultimatums, and threats of retribution by legislative Republicans, most especially Speaker Robin Vos, his negotiation-by-bullying tactics, and general disdain for public education at every level,” Evers added.
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The governor said he “disagreed” with the board of regents decision to approve the agreement and said he was “disappointed and frustrated with this result, this proposal, and the process that led up to this point.”
“It is also my expectation that every individual who promised in this process that the important work of building diversity, equity, and inclusion and making sure our campuses are welcoming and work for everyone would not be diminished by this action will be working in earnest to make good on that commitment,” the governor said. “And I’m going to make damn sure that they do.”