University leaders previously shut down programs that provided support for undocumented and multicultural students in attempts to comply with the law.
“We knew that more work would be required to utilize our talent and resources most effectively in support of our teaching and research missions, and ultimately, our students,” UT Austin President Jay Hartzell said in a letter to the UT community.
What you need to know
The university is eliminating several programs previously hosted by the DCCE, Hartzell wrote. Some programs, including disability services, a mental health foundation and support for first-generation students, will be transferred to other university departments.
“We are discontinuing programs and activities ... that now overlap with our efforts elsewhere,” Hartzell said in the letter. “Following these changes, the scale and needs of the remaining DCCE activities do not justify a stand-alone division.”
The Women’s Community Center and the Institute for Restorative Justice were not listed among the programs that will be transferred. However, Hartzell wrote that all “student-facing services will continue to be available for the rest of this semester.”
Funding previously used for DEI initiatives “will be redeployed to support teaching and research,” the letter said. Associate and assistant deans who focused on DEI will return to their full-time positions, while their support staff will be cut.
Students employed by the DCCE will retain their positions until the end of the semester, Hartzell wrote.
A university spokesperson declined to comment on the changes and would not confirm the number of employees laid off.
The context
SB 17 bans DEI offices and initiatives at all public colleges and universities in Texas. Institutions also cannot hire or assign employees to perform the duties of a DEI office. The law does not impact student-run organizations, such as the Black Student Alliance.
Proponents of the law, including bill author Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, have said DEI policies are “discriminatory” and “polarizing.”
Some UT students have argued the university has been too aggressive with compliance of the law. In recent months, officials ended the Monarch program, which helped undocumented and mixed-status students with financial aid, internship applications and more. The university also closed its Multicultural Engagement Center.
Looking ahead
The Texas Senate Education Committee will hold a hearing in May to review whether universities are complying with SB 17, Creighton said in a March 26 letter sent to UT and other institutions.
“While I am encouraged with the progress I have seen from many institutions of higher education in implementing SB 17, I am deeply concerned with the possibility that many institutions may choose to merely rename their offices or employee titles,” Creighton wrote. “This letter should serve as notice that this practice is unacceptable.”
Creighton directed university leaders to provide the committee with information about how they have prohibited DEI offices, mandatory DEI trainings, diversity-based hiring practices and more by May 3.
Lawmakers can freeze state funding for universities or take legal action if they do not follow the law, the letter states.
“Now that SB 17 is law, I’m confident that Texas public colleges and universities can return to their core mission of innovation and education—and if they do not, the Texas Senate will be resolute in enforcement of this legislation,” Creighton said in a statement.
This is a developing story.
