Texas universities have begun mass layoffs, months after a statewide ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities went into effect.
Republican state Sen. Brandon Clayton told Texas university system administrators last week that the state expects higher education institutions to comply with Senate Bill 17, an anti-DEI law that took effect in January. warned about. Now, the University of Texas at Austin has fired at least 60 employees who previously held DEI-related positions, two of whom have knowledge of the layoffs, according to Austin American States, part of the USA TODAY Network. I checked with Mann.
The decision is a further escalation of attacks on programs that benefit marginalized groups in higher education. Anti-DEI laws in red states like Texas and Florida have shuttered safe spaces for LGBTQ students over the past year, raising concerns that professors and students will flee to more liberal states.
The University of Texas would not confirm to the Statesman how many staff positions were eliminated or how many staff members would be laid off. But on Tuesday afternoon, a person with knowledge of the layoffs said at least 60 people lost their jobs, 40 of them in the campus and community relations department alone. The layoffs will take effect after 90 days, a person familiar with the layoffs told the Statesman. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the layoffs publicly. UT did not respond to Statesman's request for comment.
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The University of Texas at Austin will also close its Office of Campus Community Engagement, formerly known as the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement. President Jay Hartzl said in an email to the UT community Tuesday afternoon obtained by the Statesman that although the school made changes before Jan. 1 to comply with SB 17, “we “We knew we needed to do more to take advantage of our system.” We will most effectively contribute our talent and resources to support our teaching and research missions and, ultimately, our students. ”
more:What UT Lost with SB 17: An American Politician's Guide to Changes Due to Texas' Anti-DEI Law
“The new law changes the scope of some programs on campus, expanding the scope of the programs and creating overlap with long-standing existing programs that support students, faculty, and staff,” Hartzell said. Stated. “Following these considerations, we have concluded that additional measures are needed to reduce duplication, streamline student portfolios, and optimize resources for essential teaching and research activities. Did.”
Hartzell said the remaining programs will be redistributed to other departments. He said funds that previously supported DEI efforts will now be redirected to “supporting education and research.” However, student support will be available for the remainder of the semester.
“Positions that previously supported DEI-focused associate deans, assistant deans, and a small number of staff roles across campus will no longer be funded,” Hartzell said. .
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Hartzell said in an email that the Division of Student Affairs will work to ensure support for students continues throughout the remainder of the semester, as well as for student employee positions, adding, “For employees whose positions will be eliminated, You will have the opportunity to apply and apply,” he added. Existing open positions at the university will be considered and resources will be made available to support them. ”
The university did not say how many programs or positions were eliminated. University officials at the University of Texas' seven other campuses did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday about whether they have taken or plan to take similar actions.
DEI on campus: Attacks continue nationwide
In recent years, conservatives have centered their disdain for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in their approach to higher education policy.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, more than 80 DEI-related bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country since 2023, primarily aimed at eliminating such programs. Approximately 20 of these bills became law or were given final parliamentary approval.
Nowhere are DEI programs more at risk than in Florida and Texas. Republican governors in both states signed strict laws that prevent taxpayer funds from being used for training to help certain positions or marginalized groups succeed.
Why are changes resulting from SB 17 still being made?
In Texas, SB 17 prohibits DEI offices, initiatives, and employees from performing their functions at Texas public universities and colleges. In a March 26 letter to university system presidents and boards of governors, Creighton expressed disappointment that some universities may only be changing administrative names and titles as part of compliance. “This letter should serve as a notice that such practices are unacceptable,” it warned. ” He warned administrators that if lawmakers do not fully comply with SB 17, they could face legal action and even freeze state funding to their agencies.
“Recognized as the strongest anti-DEI law in the nation, this bill would mandate fundamental shifts in the way institutions of higher education operate,” Clayton said in the letter.
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A UT dean, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the layoffs, told the Statesman that he was contacted by the dean on Tuesday morning and informed that the faculty member was being laid off. The director said the employee previously held a DEI-related position but was reassigned to a new position and duties as part of the school's SB 17 compliance.
A second-year student, who also works in the dean's office, told the campus newspaper, the Daily Texan, on Tuesday that he learned through someone else that he had been laid off from his job.
“I had an event today, so I texted my boss and said, 'Hello, where can I meet you in the Commonwealth?'” Tyzon Walker told the Daily Texan. “She said, 'Today our jobs are cancelled.'”
In previous communications regarding anti-DEI laws, Hartzell assured the community that schools will continue to support all students while complying with the law. From December until this week, Hartzell did not address the university community about the school's continued efforts to comply with SB 17. On Tuesday, he announced the closure of the Campus Community Engagement Department.
“You're taking away life-saving services.”
Bibi Macias, a fourth-year student at UT Austin, is a first-generation college student who was previously involved in a student agency housed in the now-closed Multicultural Exchange Center, but when the staff member lost her job, she was transferred to the Office of Campus Community Engagement. (Former Diversity Bureau) also shared the news that she had lost her job. and Regional Cooperation Division) The closure is “disgusting''.
“Even though it's heartbreaking and shocking, nothing can cover how I feel,” Macias said. “You're taking away life-saving services.”
As a first-generation student, Macias said the community activities department is an important resource for her. That support, she said, has had a dramatic impact on students' experience and comfort on campus. But she also worries about her staff, who have worked so hard to support her students.
“They're ruining people's lives,” Macias said.
Students and professors have accused the university of over-complying with the law, and UT has shut down programs like Monarch that helped undocumented students with school applications, internships and financial aid. And it closed the Multicultural Engagement Center, which served as a “second home” for students with multiple multicultural identities and was open to all. They argue that SB 17 and universities' compliance with it is creating a chilling effect on recruitment and retention, and Macias worries it will affect graduation rates for marginalized student groups. ing.
Some conservative lawmakers who have celebrated the end of DEI programs at universities said Congress' efforts to end “woke” policies, or identity politics, in higher education institutions are far from over.
Like other public universities, UT experienced dramatic changes in the weeks and months leading up to SB 17's effective date, Jan. 1. In December, UT announced it would replace the Center on Gender and Sexuality with the Women's Community Center, shifting the center's focus from LGBTQ+ issues to gender-related issues.
“With its depth, breadth, and extraordinary expertise, the Campus Community Engagement Department continues to position UT Austin as uniquely equipped to meet the rapidly changing demands of our campus, state, and world. We continue to build on our position of excellence,” said LaToya Smith, vice president of campus and community affairs. Engagement mentioned the departmental changes in an email to the school community in December. “We are here for everyone.”
Macias, who is involved with the QTBIPOCA and Latino Community Affairs student organizations that lost their UT sponsorships before Jan. 1, said SB 17 speaks to students who have historically been underrepresented and marginalized. He said it puts more pressure on people to create and maintain safe spaces. Macias' sister is a freshman at the University of Texas, but she said she likely won't have the same resources as hers.
“How can we survive as these institutions within the University of Tokyo?” Macias asked.
