Maya Stahl in The Chronicle of Higher Education (April 22, 2025)
The leading newspaper of higher education reports that the National Institutes of Health have given research universities a new ultimatum: remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or lose government funding.
According to the reporter, the directive does not define what will count as DEI. The National Association of Diversity Officers is quoted as expressing concerns over this new NIH notice.
For those looking to explore the extent of DEI activities on college campuses, the National Association of Scholars produced a report that highlights the presence of “diversity statements” that serve as a requirement for employment on many college and university campuses.
The report analyzes the job listings at 89 public universities and all eight Ivy League institutions, as well as MIT, from October and November 2024—with a total of 23,000 job listings, everything from janitors to professors.
While many institutions have been using generic statements concerning a “commitment to DEI,” fewer than 50% of job postings require an applicant to produce a DEI statement. Most of those requirements are saved for faculty and upper-level administration.
In the wake of anti-DEI publicity, many universities have “quietly dropped the practice.”
[Read The Chronicle article here, and the NAS Report here.]
