A Growing Trend: University of North Carolina Fights Back Against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives, Joins Other Universities in Growing Movement

On Thursday, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements and hiring based on political preference across the UNC system.

According to a report from Fox News, the board stated that UNC “shall neither solicit nor require an employee or applicant for academic admission or employment to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles regarding matters of contemporary political debate or social action as a condition to admission, employment, or professional advancement,” according to the resolution. An employee or applicant also can’t “be solicited or required to describe his or her actions in support of, or in opposition to, such beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles.”

“Practices prohibited here include but are not limited to solicitations or requirements for statements of commitment to particular views on matters of contemporary political debate or social action contained on applications or qualifications for admission or employment included as criteria for analysis of an employee’s career progression,” the board explained.

This isn’t the first time UNC has stood up against wokeism on its campus. Earlier this month, the university announced that it will create a School Civic Life and Leadership School that will allow for more right-leaning perspectives to be shared on campus.

“As the nation’s first public university, we have a responsibility to be a place that brings together people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints to debate the issues of our day,” wrote UNC Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz in a statement announcing the school. “We are working to support a culture of respect, debate, and discovery. It won’t be easy and will often feel simply uncomfortable. Yet these are the skills our students, and we as citizens, need to be stewards of our democracy.”

Other universities across the country are going after DEI as well. Just this week, it was announced that the University of Texas system will now pause all DEI programs on its campuses, including in hiring practices.

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Chairman Kevin Eltife explained that DEI programs have strayed from their initial intentions: “I also think it’s fair to say that in recent times, certain DEI efforts have strayed from the original intent to now imposing requirements and actions that, rightfully so, has raised the concerns of our policymakers about those efforts on campuses across our entire state.”

“We will await any action from the Legislature for implementation by the University of Texas System at the appropriate time and, if needed, the board may consider a uniform DEI policy for the entire UT System,” the chairman continued in response to potential oversight from the Texas legislature which is currently in session, as reported by the Austin American Statesman.

Similar efforts are taking place in Florida thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Last month, DeSantis debuted a proposal that would ban public universities from having programs based on DEI and Critical Race Theory, as reported by PBS.

“I think people want to see true academics and they want to get rid of some of the political window dressing that seems to accompany all this,” the governor said, adding that these programs would receive “No funding, and that will wither on the vine.”

As UNC joins Texas and Florida in taking bold action against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in public universities, Republicans seem to be waking up to the impact that universities have on American society. Many of the radical ideas proposed by the left originate on college campuses and fighting back against these racist policies is paramount to creating a place of learning that doesn’t necessitate political uniformity.

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