The University will remove the optional diversity, equity and inclusion faculty statement from the promotion and tenure processes. The changes will apply to specialized faculty after Jan. 1 and tenure-track faculty next fall.
The UI System instructed its three campuses earlier this fall to “discontinue use of any standalone statement, whether required or optional, specifically limited to DEI activities,” according to Provost John Coleman at the Nov. 3 Senate Executive Committee meeting.
“Our policies and practices in this area are regularly updated to reflect changes in federal and state law, and this is the latest iteration of that kind of adjustment,” Coleman said.
Faculty applying for promotion or tenure in the current academic cycle have the option to add a one-page personal statement describing their contributions to DEI initiatives. This DEI statement, before its announced removal, was set to be required next year.
Now, a new optional statement will replace the current DEI one, allowing candidates to write about any topic relevant to the University’s mission. According to Coleman, the new statement will not prohibit applicants from mentioning DEI, but rather offer flexibility to write about other subjects, such as academic freedom or community engagement.
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In its current guide to DEI’s role in the promotion and tenure process, the University describes DEI as “core to the mission of the University,” “fundamental to our institution” and “at the center of our shared vision.” Coleman said online guidelines will be updated in December to reflect the new changes.
This statement adjustment is the most recent in an ongoing series of DEI-related rollbacks at the University over the last year during President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
In April, the University altered its hiring and recruitment practices in response to Executive Order 14173, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” The Office for Access and Equity wrote that the new guidelines are “without bias or preference for or against any person based on their race, sex, or any other legally protected classifications.”
A July memorandum from Attorney General Pam Bondi specified that entities that receive federal funds must comply with anti-discrimination laws, referencing “unlawful DEI practices.”
In September, the UI System removed race and gender from financial aid and scholarship consideration.
On Nov. 6, Chancellor Charles Lee Isbell Jr. announced in a Massmail that the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will be renamed the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Access, Civil Rights, and Community. The change would be effective Jan. 1 and is pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
“We’re facing a lot of complex issues,” Coleman said. “At this point in time, we are, of course, not alone. It’s happening across higher education.”
