The University of Kentucky will disband its office promoting diversity and inclusion efforts in response to questions from policymakers on whether its focus on identity has stifled political discussions, its president said Tuesday. The action comes after state lawmakers debated whether to limit DEI practices at public universities, reports the AP. Republican supermajorities in the Kentucky House and Senate were unable to resolve the issue before ending this year's session in April, but the matter was expected to resurface when lawmakers reconvene early next year. "This should in no way be construed as impinging upon academic freedom," UK President Eli Capilouto said.
In the school's preemptive action, units housed in the shuttered Office for Institutional Diversity will be shifted elsewhere, including into a newly created Office for Community Relations, Capilouto said. He stressed that the school's core values remain intact—to protect academic freedom and promote a "sense of belonging" for everyone on campus, regardless of background or perspective. "But we've also listened to policymakers and heard many of their questions about whether we appear partisan or political on the issues of our day and, as a result, narrowly interpret things solely through the lens of identity," Capilouto said. Moves against DEI are occurring elsewhere:
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett on Tuesday announced plans to dissolve the school's Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Bennett was hired last year and is the first Black person to lead Nebraska's flagship public university campus. "I fully grasp the weight of this decision and its implications, but a centralized approach to this work is no longer right for our institution," Bennett said in a public letter. "It is incumbent on each of us to foster a welcoming environment for all members of our community," he said.
- Iowa's Republican-led Legislature approved a budget bill that would ban all DEI offices and initiatives in higher education that aren't necessary to comply with accreditation or federal law.
- Republican lawmakers in Missouri have proposed numerous bills targeting "diversity, equity and inclusion" initiatives in higher education and state government. Though the legislation hasn't passed, the efforts have put pressure on institutions to make changes. The University of Missouri recently announced that it is dissolving its Inclusion, Diversity and Equity division.
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