The University of California has ended its requirement that faculty provide a diversity statement during the hiring process.
“After thoughtful review, the Board has directed President Drake to take action to ensure that diversity statements are no longer required for new recruitments,” UC Provost Katherine S. Newman wrote in a letter.
Newman explained the change was necessary “because some programs, departments, and recruitments have required diversity statements as part of the hiring processes despite the fact that the University of California has never maintained such a systemwide policy.” The provost stated that the diversity requirement “may lead applicants to focus on an aspect of their candidacy that is outside their expertise or prior experience.”
The letter comes as the Department of Education announced an investigation into the University of California-Berkley after it allegedly exhibited racial preferences for programs. UC Berkley was one of dozens of universities under investigation for discrimination.
In February, the Education Department urged educational institutions to end the practice of racial preferences in “their admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, sanctions, discipline, and beyond” or risk federal funding.
“With this guidance, the Trump Administration is directing schools to end the use of racial preferences and race stereotypes in their programs and activities—a victory for justice, civil rights laws, and the Constitution,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said at the time. “For decades, schools have been operating on the pretext that selecting students for ‘diversity’ or similar euphemisms is not selecting them based on race. No longer. Students should be assessed according to merit, accomplishment, and character—not prejudged by the color of their skin. The Office for Civil Rights will enforce that commitment.”
