By MELANIE ROMERO / Staff Writer
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion offices – which encourage policies and resources to be used to help underrepresented minorities – will be closing soon in Texas colleges.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed Senate Bill 17, which will shut down DEI offices in state-funded universities starting January of 2024. This bill does not apply to student organizations, student recruitment or academic course instruction.
However, according to this new law, hiring departments can no longer ask for diversity statements or provide training in that field. Additionally, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will no longer hire, conduct training or activities that are based on race, ethnicity, color, gender or sexual orientation.
If any college or university does not cooperate with the new law, it loses state funds. To be sure of this, a state auditor will keep up with universities using compliance audits.
A number of conservatives view this as a step toward fighting against critical race theory. Texas is not the first state to follow through with this plan; in May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 266, which bans DEI offices in Florida colleges.
Gardner Pate, Gov. Abbott’s chief of staff, explained in a memo reviewed by the Texas Tribune that “[t]he innocuous sounding notion of DEI has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others.”
However, this is not the only viewpoint held on the issue.
“I think because specifically we are becoming a Hispanic-serving institution, we have a population of students who are Latino who are now not able to do things,” UT Tyler Political Science professor Kenneth Bryant Jr. said. “In the worst way, [SB 17] creates an environment where faculty, staff and administration cannot openly and intentionally address disparities in our institution.”
Not only does this bill prohibit the consideration of factors like race, but also sexual orientation, veteran status or gender-identity.
“Students of many different racial backgrounds face some of the toughest hardships,” UT Tyler student Clayton Quinn said, “The best way to overcome this divide is by allowing individuals to stand on their own merits.”
Student organizations like the Hispanic Student Association, African Student Association and others are still in operation at UT Tyler and are not regulated by the new bill. If you are interested in joining a student organization that embraces differences, go to UT Tyler’s Student Engagement page.
