The University of Florida eliminated all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) positions in February 2023. This decision came after the Florida Board of Governors passed a rule prohibiting the use of public funds for DEI programs in the state's public universities.
The university eliminated 13 full-time DEI positions and ended DEI-related appointments for 15 faculty members. The Office of the Chief Diversity Officer was also closed and the university cited the new state regulations as the reason for these actions. The move complies with a state law that barred public universities from using government funds for initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Laws passed in May 2023 restrict state universities and colleges from using state or federal funds for programs promoting specific DEI policies or social activism. Exceptions exist for compliance with federal mandates and accreditation. The regulations aim to limit programs that categorize individuals based on race, sex, or other factors for preferential treatment.
Proponents of DEI argue that this law is unjust and unfair as it would promote inequality, limit representation, ignore systemic issues, and would limit open discussions. They believe that DEI programs aim to address historical and ongoing inequalities in education and opportunities and that they create a more inclusive environment by ensuring that diverse voices are heard and represented in the curriculum, faculty, and student body.
Those who support the policy banning DEI argue that these DEI initiatives lead to preferential treatment based on race or ethnicity, hindering the selection of the most qualified candidates for jobs or schools. They believe selection should be based solely on merit. Moreover, some feel that programs focused on increasing diversity can lead to "reverse discrimination" against majority groups.
The truth is that DEI programs only have good intentions but do not produce the results intended. Instead of enhancing substantive diversity, ergo diversity of thoughts, DEI only enhances superficial diversity; diversity of skin color, religion, gender, and cultural background while consolidating a standardized system of thought, hostile to alternative opinions, which precisely establishes social totalitarianism in academic and corporate milieux. The main shortcoming of DEI initiatives is that they do not focus on the performance or skills of the applicants. They focus on superficial features that do—in any way, shape, or form—not demonstrate one’s ability to perform the task assigned to them.
Last year, Florida became one of the first states to enact laws restricting or eliminating DEI initiatives, which prompted other Republican-led states to follow suit, including Texas, where a ban on DEI initiatives and offices at publicly-funded universities and colleges took effect on January 1. In Utah, the governor last month signed a bill paring back DEI programs at state universities and in state government. And the Alabama Legislature is considering similar legislation.
The University of Florida added that the terminated employees will receive 12 weeks’ worth of pay and it encouraged them to apply for different positions within the school, saying they would receive “expedited considerations.”