Bill barring public university funding of DEI dies in legislature
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) -Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, better known as DEI, has been a hot political target on the state and national levels.
In higher education, DEI generally refers to efforts to comply with civil rights laws and create a sense of on-campus belonging among diverse populations.
Most universities have had an office or division devoted to those efforts.
That’s been changing in Mississippi.
A bill that would have barred the state’s public universities from funding DEI offices and efforts died in this year’s legislative session.
Earlier this month, Ole Miss closed its Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, replacing it with the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Community Engagement to help more students attend and graduate college.
State Auditor Shad White commissioned a study on DEI spending by universities.
“Now, my big concern is if we just change the name, if the university just changes the name, but they don’t actually re-orient the money to stuff that matters, that’s not a real solution. In North Carolina what they did was they shut down their DEI offices and took the money that was going into the office, and they put it into campus police. That’s a good example of something that actually is effective for students. So, my hope is that this money will get reoriented to stuff that makes students’ lives better, that taxpayers here in Mississippi would support,” said White.
Fourteen states, including Alabama, have passed laws banning or restricting DEI practices.
Others have done things such as defunding programs and scrapping scholarships.
