University of Nebraska Board of Regents changes DEI language in response to federal pressure
In a 6-2 vote, the Board of Regents at the University of Nebraska (UN) eliminated language in its policies referring to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), as well as affirmative action.
The changes, voted by the regents following an April 11 meeting, also simplify the university’s discrimination policy by asserting one broad statement instead of listing group identities.
In a 6-2 vote, the Board of Regents at the University of Nebraska (UN) eliminated language in its policies referring to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), as well as affirmative action.
The changes, voted by the regents following an April 11 meeting, also simplify the university’s discrimination policy by asserting one broad statement instead of listing group identities, as reported by The Nebraska Examiner.
The Trump administration’s promise to enforce its anti-DEI executive order, including removing funding, spurred the board to change its policies.
The regents had been considering potential changes since February following the Department of Education’s Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter.
The letter warned that DEI programs give preferential treatment to certain racial groups. The administration also called the practice “morally reprehensible” and threatened that if universities do not comply with longstanding civil rights laws, they could face federal funding cuts.
UN-Omaha closed its DEI office two weeks later.
Much of the Board’s discussion concerned whether or not a language change would have a practical effect. One regent, named Elizabeth O’Connor, suggested it would—a thought which eventually led her to vote against the measure.
The Nebraska Examiner reports that O’Connor explained to her colleges that, “While today is just one piece of unraveling support for students in research supported by DEI, I believe that it is just the beginning, and it will be hard to reverse the damage done in the future.”
“The practices targeted are often research-based practices with decades of education research that indicates numerous benefits to individuals, community, and society,” continued O’Connor.
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating many universities for not complying with the anti-DEI executive order, which has led some schools to change office names and policies.
In one example, Arizona State University began renaming its various identity-based convocation ceremonies to “celebrations.” The university has also relocated resources for LGBT-identifying students from its former prominent place to a student group’s page.
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In April, the University of Pennsylvania eliminated more than a dozen DEI positions and renamed its DEI webpage to “Belonging at Penn.”
Campus Reform contacted the Board of Regents for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
