Institution claims to be restructuring its operations to move its business to two fresh locations.
In an effort to comply with regulations that prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the University of Utah announced Thursday that it would close its women’s and LGBT facilities, launch two innovative programs, and change the name of a third of its programs.
The Women’s Resource Center and LGBT Resource Center will close as a result of the” Equal Opportunity Initiatives” law, which goes into effect July 1, a news release says.
The policy requires” student services]to] become available to all students and no provided to adult students based on’ personalized identity characteristics,'” according to the launch.
The school also is creating two new courses: the Center for Student Access and Resources, and the Community and Cultural Engagement Center, the release states.
According to the new legislation, the historical center is “pending authorization from the Utah Board of Higher Education.” If approved, its work does rely on” social education, party, engagement and awareness”, the college says.
The two new locations will offer related” student services and social services” to those earlier provided at the children’s and LGBT centers, although the services are being “reorganized” to comply with the law, according to the launch.
The organization also announced intentions to name the American Indian Resource Center, which will now go by the Center for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement.
Despite the changes, the school did not eliminate any team jobs, yet,” some of their job descriptions and labor did change”, according to the release.
Additionally,” the Black Cultural Center creating at Fort Douglas will stay open as a group meeting room”, and the class” will continue to celebrate Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Week, Pride Week, Women’s Week, and cultural history months”, it states.
According to Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald, the adjustments are more complicated than all names.
” As we’ve evaluated how best to comply with the regulations, I want to be clear that we’ve faced extremely difficult selections”, McDonald said. We will follow the law and make necessary adjustments to how we approach student support in the wake of the law and subsequent guidance. This is n’t about changing the words we use, we’re changing how we approach the work”.
The law, which passed the state legislature this spring, eliminates diversity, equity and inclusion policies in Utah public universities and government agencies, The College Fix reported.
It also forbids public institutions from requiring the adherence to a particular ideology as a prerequisite for graduation or employment, among other things.
In response to the law, another public university in Utah is phasing out programs.
According to KSL.com, Weber State University in Ogden has plans to “eliminate seven cultural centers that had been targeted at various campus demographics, including Black, Latino, female, and LGBTQ students.”
MORE: Sweeping Utah bill to ban DEI advances in Republican- controlled statehouse
IMAGE: University of Utah/Facebook
Follow The College Fix on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
