MTSU discontinued Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives, according to an email sent to faculty, staff and students on Tuesday. This affects some scholarships and programs on campus.
The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s executive orders impacting DEI programs in the workplace and Tennessee Public Chapter 458 – also known as the “Dismantling DEI Departments Act.”
The Tennessee legislation focuses on DEI at state institutions, such as colleges and universities, and took effect in May.
DEI aims to eliminate inequalities and discrimination on account of race, religion, culture and/or gender and/or sexual orientation that may exist in the workplace, according to the American Diversity Initiative.
“[These changes] require us to reevaluate our operations to ensure that we remain in compliance around how we support students, nonacademic programs and some academic support programs,” MTSU president Sidney McPhee said in an email.
The state law and the recent executive orders ban public institutions of higher education, including MTSU, from maintaining, authorizing or supporting programs that promote DEI initiatives.
MTSU administration is “actively working to ensure that our university employees and students continue to feel supported as we address these challenges,” McPhee said.
The following changes have gone into effect as of Tuesday:
- Removing references to DEI on the university’s website and in publications
- Adjusting scholarship programs that include DEI-based criteria, including donor-supported scholarships
- Eliminating sponsorships and support of any initiatives, programs or services related to DEI, both internal to the university and external
Additional changes may follow as the university continues to review programs and services.
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