University of Wisconsin joins national pushback, dissolves DEI office
The University of Wisconsin–Madison will eliminate its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) center, joining a growing number of major colleges to walk away from such programming.
University Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin made the announcement to the campus community on July 9.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison will eliminate its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) center, joining a growing number of major colleges to walk away from such programming.
University Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin made the announcement to the campus community on July 9.
“The Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA) will sunset as a freestanding division,” Mnookin explained. “DDEEA has been the home for a set of scholarship-linked student support activities that serve approximately 5% of our student body.”
In her announcement, Mnookin expressed her intention to “state clearly and unequivocally” that diversity “of all kinds” remains a “core value” of the university system.
Mnookin continued to observe that many programs under the DDEEA will be “relocated” to a different division, ensuring that some policies stay in place.
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos praised the elimination of DEI, stating he was “glad to see the UW System finally getting rid of this awful waste of taxpayer dollars,” according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“We need less indoctrination and more effort to provide students with usable skills and knowledge to help them get a good paying job,” Vos added.
Earlier this year, audits found that the University of Wisconsin system failed to track millions in DEI-related spending, according to The Washington Times.
UW schools also did not have to define what counts as DEI. In the end, the auditors estimated that the system spent around $40 million on DEI, including $12.5 million on salaries connected to diversity and inclusion.
Campus Reform has reported about other schools removing DEI initiatives amid the federal crackdown against the policy. For instance, Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education closed its DEI office after the Trump administration paused billions in federal funding.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Wisconsin–Madison for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
