Auburn University promoted DEI grading rubric despite state ban
An inside source provided screenshots of the rubric to 1819 News on Wednesday.
One screenshot of the rubric shows a glossary of terms, including 'Diversity,' 'Equity,' 'Inclusion,' and 'Accessibility.'
Auburn University in Alabama pushed faculty members to create course syllabi based on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles, despite the state’s anti-DEI law, a new report from 1819 News has found.
The report, published on Wednesday, shows screenshots of a university-sponsored online survey for professors with the purpose of making courses more inclusive.
An inside source provided the screenshots. One screenshot shows a glossary of terms, including “Diversity,” “Equity,” “Inclusion,” and “Accessibility.”
The rubric was published as a study last December at Indiana University Libraries Journal, and authored by two Auburn faculty members, Betsy Gilbertson and Stephanie Shepherd, as well as Jeffrey Fergus at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
“This design case explores the development of tools to foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in course design and teaching at a predominantly white institution,” the abstract for “The Unexpected Ethical Concerns of Developing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Review Tools: A Design Case” reads.
The tools prompt professors to consider whether their courses represent different identity groups.
The study also considers the “ethical challenges faced during the development and implementation of the tools, including the decision to rebrand the tools as ‘community and belonging’ to avoid faculty and administrative resistance.”
It’s unclear when Auburn University used the survey, or if it is still in use today. Alabama legislators passed S.B. 129 in 2024, banning DEI offices and practices at public universities.
Several rubric questions that appeared at Auburn prompt professors to consider identity groups, such as the “Black Student Body,” when creating a class environment.
In response to the question, “to what extent does this course offer support resources?,” the best option is that the course offers “expanded resources for specific groups such as professional organizations for field of study and provide information on groups that specifically support Marginalized student populations.”
[RELATED: Ohio State restricts land acknowledgment statements under new anti-DEI policy]
Another slide instructs professors to display a diverse group of people in any pictures and graphics used in class.
One response, titled “Working on it,” means that the course provides “significant amounts of representations,” from groups such as “Gender including non-binary and transgender,” “Sexuality,” “Culture/Race/Ethnicity,” “Age,” “Relationships/family,” and “Religion.”
A “Well Done” answer means that the visuals come with “in-depth explanations of the importance of the diverse representation in the course.”
Campus Reform obtained documents in 2023 that showed that the University of Washington used a DEI grading rubric for departments, similar to Auburn. The rubric measured each department’s “progress toward DEI goals and develop action plans to institutionalize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices and procedures.”
Campus Reform contacted Auburn University for comment, but did not receive a response before publication.
