Another Tennessee University Making Changes To Comply With State DEI Laws

Image Credit: utc.edu

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) is the latest state university to bring departments in their organization into alignment with new state laws outlawing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

UTC leadership met this week to talk about how the university will make changes in order to comply with legislation that the Tennessee General Assembly passed earlier this year.

During a board meeting on Tuesday, Chancellor Lori Bruce said that no action will be taken immediately but instead all departments and offices are to be evaluated in order to confirm that they are in compliance with laws both at the state and federal level.

According to University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd, this review will be conducted by an independent law firm and will include all campus access and engagement programs on all system campuses.

UTC Vice Chancellor Artanya Wesley has confirmed that the multicultural office will be getting a makeover and that the student body has been made aware that changes are coming.

The University of Memphis (UM) recently closed their Multicultural Affairs office due to the “Dismantling DEI Departments Act” and stated that they had no choice but to shut it down while also referring to President Donald Trump’s executive order that prohibits public institutions of higher education from from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

One of several universities in the state who have begun to discontinue such programs on their campuses, UM said they were forced to reevaluate how they operated to ensure that they remained in compliance with the law. 

At the time of the closure, the UM chapter of United Campus Workers stated that staff in the Multicultural Affairs Office should not have been cut in what they say was an abrupt manner, and that it was not required by Tennessee statute. The office was shut down less than a day after an email was sent out by university president Bill Hardgrove on Thursday. In response, the group promised to take action.

Hardgrove has stated that the closing of that office is just the beginning and that several programs will ultimately get the boot. References to DEI on the university’s website and publications will also be taken down.

Earlier this year, Vanderbilt removed all references to DEI from their academic department and center websites after President Donald Trump’s administration released federal guidelines.

Vanderbilt affiliates were informed via email of new requirements that would bring them into compliance with Trump’s January 20th Executive Order aimed at ending “radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.” The university is mandated to comply with the guidelines as it contracts with a number of government entities.

Around the same time, the Student Center for Social Justice and Identity was changed to the Student Center for Belonging and Communities.

Following the university’s actions to be in compliance with the guidelines, an investigation of 45 universities, including Vanderbilt, was announced by the Trump administration for “civil rights obligations to end the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Belmont University are also under investigation despite stating that they have abided by federal law.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.