Since 2016, the University of Michigan has spent about a quarter of a billion dollars on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, but that has n’t brought about unity or improved the campus community. In many ways, DEI dogma has led to more conflict and division.
That is the conclusion of a long post with the title” The University of Michigan Doubled Down on D. E. I. What Went Inappropriate”?
It included interviews by more than 60 learners, university, alumni and administrators, a stack of domestic documents, and some exterior research projects on the subject of UMich’s Della efforts.
For instance, the article cited a study conducted by scholar Mark Perry specifically for The College Fix at the beginning of this year that showed that there were 241 paid University of Michigan people working in DEI, with annual payroll expenses exceeding$ 30 million.
It even cited a 2021 statement from the Heritage Foundation, which found Michigan has the largest La government of any large public school.
For all that effort, partners, pupils and scholars everywhere, mock, regret, and reject it as all for nothing, as columnist Nicholas Confessore discovered.
” Where some found it deep, some found it stifling. They squirted their eyes at the abundance of course offerings that deal with personality and oppression, as well as the D. E. I. themed emails that they usually received but only occasionally read, according to Confessore. ” Michigan’s personal data suggests that in striving to become more diverse and equal, the university has also become less inclusive”.
UMich Regent Mark Bernstein told the Times:” The cocktail chatter is: ‘ I ca n’t say anything in class anymore. I’m going to find run out of course.’ There’s an tremendous amount of fear”.
Bernstein is n’t the only regent who’s concerned. More writing on the wall is anticipated in a Nov. 21 Chronicle of Higher Education article with the headline” Is La in the Crosshairs at the U. of Michigan.”
The University of Michigan’s La government may eventually be on the cusp of a scale up, according to the Chronicle, in response to the “scathing about 10, 000-word magazine article published in The New York Times in October” that examined the cost and effectiveness of the university’s efforts.
Perry, who compiled UMich’s 2023-24 La saving stats as a paid analyst for The College Fix, continues to sound the alarm, most just reminding UMich regents of how absurd and over-the-top the public school’s La spending is.
Above is a text Perry sent to the trustees Saturday, published in total with authority:
Dear UM Regents:
As you continue to discuss and consider dismantling, defunding or significantly reducing UM’s” DE I Ideological Complex” (” Is DEI in the Crosshairs at the U. of Michigan”? ) The University of Michigan 2023-2024 Diversity Report Summary and The College Fix reported that the school now has more than 500 jobs dedicated to DEI, and that its payment fees exceed$ 30 million.
1. At least 241 paid employees members at UM have the exclusive or main job responsibility of providing La programming and solutions. In addition, 76 faculty or staff members work part-time as” DE I Unit Leads” advancing diversity efforts in one of UM’s 51 schools, colleges, and units that are a key part of UM’s new 5-year Diversity, Equity &, Inclusion ( DEI ) 2.0 Plan. In order to determine the yearly cost of DEI at UM, I did not take the wages of the 76 part-time” DE I Product Leads” into account, but I did list them on the DEI-related staff list, bringing the total DEI staff to 317 workers. I think that UM has considerably more DEI staff members than 317, probably more than 500, and possibly even as many as 600, for reasons not discussed in the attached document.
2. The total annual payroll cost of UM’s full-time DEI staff is estimated to be$ 30.68 million —$ 23.24 million for staff salaries and$ 7.44 million for employee fringe benefits. To put that in perspective,$ 30.68 million would pay in-state tuition and fees ($ 17, 228 ) for 1, 781 undergraduate students. UM’s La staff is also compensated with wages as high as$ 402, 800 for UM’s head variety executive Tabbye Chavous Sellers, UM’s Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion &, Chief Diversity Officer. In contrast, Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer’s salary is$ 159, 300, and the average salaries for assistant, associate, and full professors at UM are$ 129, 500,$ 148, 300, and$ 206, 500 respectively. So, UM’s chief diversity officer is paid about 2X more than the average total teacher at UM, 2.5X more than Michigan’s government, and about 3X more than the regular UM assistant or associate professor.
Thirteen DEI staff members earn more than$ 200, 000 and 66 earn more than$ 100, 000. The DEI salary at UM is$ 96,400, which adds 32 % to the overall average compensation total. With fringe benefits, 144 DEI employees at UM receive a total compensation of more than$ 100, 000.
3. UM’s diversity staff has increased significantly over the last 20 years from 0 “diversicrats” in 2003 to 241 last year, see chart below. When UM releases 2024-2025 salaries in December, I will update my annual analysis of UM’s diversity headcount and compensation.
As you continue to discuss defunding and dismantling DEI at UM, I appreciate you taking these details into account.
Professor Emeritus Mark J. Perry, UM-Flint
Scholar Emeritus American Enterprise Institute
Senior Fellow, Do No Harm
Senior Research Fellow, Equal Protection Project
More than two red state legislatures have temporarily re-enacted DEI, according to University of Michigan regents, and Donald Trump won Michigan’s electoral votes this month after making pledges to end the department.
The leaders of Michigan’s top university may be ready to declare,” Enough is enough,” at this very moment.
MORE: UMich now has more than 500 jobs dedicated to DEI, payroll costs exceed$ 30 million
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