UNC System announces multi-million dollar cuts for DEI positions and programs

The UNC System Board of Governors announced system-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion cuts during their Committee on University Governance meeting Wednesday morning. UNC-Chapel Hill leads the system for the most DEI positions eliminated.

According to a chart presented at the meeting and Andrew Tripp, Senior Vice President and General Counsel in the Office of Legal Affairs at the BOG, UNC eliminated 20 positions, realigning 27, in accordance with the repeal of UNC System DEI policies this May.

Tripp also announced that 5.3 million dollars will be redirected away from DEI initiatives at UNC. 

“As we all know, UNC Chapel Hill typifies our larger campuses' responses,” Tripp said. “It's required. Its compliance is required, eliminating dozens of positions.”

UNC’s “Equality Within the University of North Carolina” report, signed by Chancellor Lee Roberts and Provost Chris Clemens on July 30, details seven eliminated positions in the Universities central administration, including the Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, along with six other positions within the University DEI office.

Eliminated positions also include 12 roles within the School of Education, School of Information and Library Sciences, the School of Medicine, the Adams School of Dentistry, the Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Eshelman school of Pharmacy.

Programmatic changes include the elimination of DEI offices in specific schools including the Kenan-Flagler Business School, the School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy.

Specific positions have been realigned, such as the College of Arts and Sciences’ Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which is now working under the title of Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Development. Instead of guiding DEI matters, the position will now focus on supporting professional and leadership development and mentoring.

The report also stated that “centers that had DEI committees or workgroups have confirmed that they either no longer meet, have been formally ended, or have transitioned to other work.”

During the meeting, BOG member Joel Ford, who initially voted against repealing the DEI policy in May, shared a statement directed toward UNC System President Peter Hans. 

“I really need for you to step up right now and to make sure that the listening public understands that as a public institution and system, that we are open to all and that we are inclusive,” Ford said. “It is our job and responsibility to educate everyone and to do our best to retain and graduate them with as little amount of debt as possible.”

Hans replied, saying he “absolutely” will.

“That remains our obligation under federal law, state law and our moral obligation,” he said.

UNC was the only school to reach double digits of eliminated positions – the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which eliminated 9 positions, followed. 

Across the UNC System, 59 positions were eliminated. Information from the meeting showed 131 total realigned positions, over $16 million redirected savings and over $17 million reported savings.

UNC Media Relations told The Daily Tar Heel that the University's plan is compliant with new UNC System policy.

"It includes the dissolution of the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the reassignment of its personnel and programs to other divisions of the university that support the success, well-being and sense of community that help our students, staff and faculty thrive," Media Relations wrote. "We have an unwavering commitment to provide a welcoming environment for all North Carolinians." 

The committee meeting ended 30 minutes early. BOG will meet again for their complete board meeting on Thursday. 

University writer Sofia Szostczuk contributed reporting to this story.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said that UNC Media Relations, rather than presenters at the BOG meeting, told The DTH to refer to resolutions with any questions. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for this error.

CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this article listed the number of realigned positions as 132 based on BOG data, which was previously calculated one digit off.

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