Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Office even closing at U. Northern Iowa
Iowa’s public colleges are cutting about$ 1.3 million in “diversity, capital, and addition” jobs this spring in response to commands by the board of regents.
At a board of governors conference in Iowa on April 25, the president of the three universities made the announcements about job cuts and business closures. The alterations are in response to table directives that required all superfluous DEI initiatives from public higher education institutions late last year.
Barbara Wilson, president of the University of Iowa, stated in a video statement shared with The College Fix that the school is eliminating five DEI positions for a savings of about$ 360, 000.
” Performance and position” were the main focus for getting rid of the posts, Wilson said.
She added that the school is “restructuring” its La company to create a new Division of Access, Opportunity and Diversity, which will” agree at the state level and the national stage.”
According to Wilson,” The University of Iowa will also be prohibiting anyone from requiring nouns, and that will also be added to all syllabi for all classes as of the fall.”
When The Fix inquired about the board’s satisfaction with the universities ‘ recent reply to the commands, a governors spokesperson directed the audience to a YouTube video from the April conference. A regents spokeswoman responded by declining to comment.
However, Iowa State University, the largest of the three schools, may reduce five positions and shut its DEI department this summers, ISU President Wendy Wintersteen told the regents at the April 25 gathering, The Fix reported.
The reductions include the vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion whose income was$ 245, 920 in 2023, according to public data reported by The Gazette.
Less: Iowa college trustees tried to force leader to undertake DEI ‘ are- education’: lawsuit
The entire place reduces at ISU number to$ 789, 000 in salaries and benefits, according to a record by KCRG 9.
Additionally, the University of Northern Iowa will reduce its Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Office and its chief diversity officer place, according to a speech and an administrative conclusion that a College director provided to The Fix.
The university recently eliminated five DEI positions, according to the executive summary, with three of the employees accepting other positions on campus. The report did not include the specific titles, salaries, or benefits of the eliminated positions.
One known position cut, the chief diversity officer, made a salary of$ 118, 014 in 2023, according to a public salary database run by Open The Books, a government watchdog organization.
However, UNI also created three new positions, an assistant dean of students- family and military programming and two campus programs coordinators, with reallocated funds “from the elimination of other positions”, the executive summary states.
A UNI spokesperson directed The Fix to the executive summary when asked for more details regarding salary and position cuts.
In a campus message sent to The Fix by UNI President Mark Nook, the university established two task forces at the start of the spring semester to review the regulations ‘ DEI directives and make compliance recommendations.
” We are confident that by making these structural and organizational changes, we will be able to provide the personal attention and services that each UNI student needs and deserves,” he said in the statement.” We are committed to the success of every member of the UNI community.
Nook stated that UNI leaders would continue to review programs and materials to make sure they were compliant.
Based on the available data, the total DEI cuts announced by the three universities amount to$ 1, 267, 014 in salaries and benefits.
None of the universities responded to The Fix‘s inquiries about potential additional DEI cuts or employee and student feedback regarding the most recent changes.
Last year, an Iowa Legislative Services Agency report found” 142 total DEI positions across the campuses — with 61 at the UI, 56 at Iowa State, and 25 at UNI. That amounts to total compensation nearing$ 13.3 million, with the UI paying its DEI staffers$ 6.1 million total, ISU paying$ 5.2 million, and UNI paying$ 1.9 million”, according to a report by The Gazette.
Senate File 2435, which Republican Governor Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the previous week. The legislation forbids universities from operating DEI offices or from requiring DEI statements from faculty or staff.
MORE: After Iowa Board of Regents abolish higher ed DEI initiatives, high- paid deans on chopping block
IMAGE: Iowa Board of Regents/YouTube
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