Clemson pulls DEI requirement from engineering course syllabus
Clemson University removed a DEI requirement from a chemical engineering course after it faced criticism from lawmakers and social media.
The university also announced it is dissolving several DEI-focused commissions, saying they had fulfilled their mission and encouraging voluntary participation instead.
Clemson University in South Carolina removed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) grading requirement from a chemical engineering course syllabus after Republican lawmakers and watchdogs said it violated federal restrictions on mandatory DEI training.
The course, Safety, Environmental and Professional Practice I, is designed to teach chemical engineering students about process safety.
The initial syllabus listed 15 percent of a student’s grade as contingent on completing a DEI certificate through the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). That requirement has been eliminated.
[RELATED: University of Oklahoma memo restricts classroom DEI practices under state mandate]
Clemson spokesman Joe Galbraith said the syllabus “contained incorrect information regarding a DEI requirement” and that students would be notified of the correction.
The syllabus gained attention after it was posted on the Libs of TikTok social media account and shared by Republican politicians including gubernatorial candidate Rep. Nancy Mace.
“Sent to me by a follower. @ClemsonUniv is REQUIRING students to complete a DEI certificate worth 15% of the grade” the Libs of TikTok account posted on Sept. 9, along with a picture of the syllabus. “They’re blatantly violating Trump’s EOs. DEFUND!”
Sent to me by a follower. @ClemsonUniv is REQUIRING students to complete a DEI certificate worth 15% of the grade!
They’re blatantly violating Trump’s EOs. DEFUND! @usedgov @CivilRights @AAGDhillon pic.twitter.com/chR2INgaum— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 9, 2025
“It’s going to take a GOVERNOR who will stand up and end this nonsense once and for all. There can only be one,” wrote Mace, who is running for governor. “Hold the line.”
It’s going to take a GOVERNOR who will stand up and end this nonsense once and for all. There can only be one.
Hold the line. https://t.co/zdX1mVZm7N— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) September 10, 2025
Among other anti-DEI measures from the Trump administration, earlier this year the Department of Education sent a notice to federally funded universities warning that failure to remove DEI programs could jeopardize their funding.
“Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible,” the notice stated. “Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices.”
Following the federal crackdown of the controversial policy, many schools have taken steps to eliminate it, including the University of Southern California, the University of Alaska, Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Notre Dame.
Just this month, Clemson University announced it was dissolving several commissions central to its DEI efforts, including those focused on Asian Pacific Islander, black, Latino, LGBT, and women’s communities.
The university said the groups had “successfully fulfilled their important charge” and encouraged individuals to continue fostering connection and belonging independently, effectively sunsetting much of Clemson’s formal DEI infrastructure.
Campus Reform has reached out to Clemson University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
