University Of North Carolina Bans ‘Diversity, Equity And Inclusion’
The University of North Carolina (UNC) voted to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statements and politically preferential hiring.
UNC voted to ban DEI statements during its Board of Governors meeting. The board released a statement regarding their decision on DEI.
https://twitter.com/CroydonConst/status/1629773926791299072?s=20
The university “shall neither solicit nor require an employee or applicant for academic admission or employment to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles regarding matters of contemporary political debate or social action as a condition to admission, employment, or professional advancement,” the board stated.
“Practices prohibited here include but are not limited to solicitations or requirements for statements of commitment to particular views on matters of contemporary political debate or social action contained on applications or qualifications for admission or employment included as criteria for analysis of an employee’s career progression,” it added.
Kenny Xu, President of Color Us United, an organization that advocates for universities to ban DEI across American schools, told Fox News that UNC’s move will “have higher implications for higher education across the country.”
“We believe in a race blind, meritocratic society with high standards and that’s what has traditionally produced excellence in the United States,” Xu told Fox News Digital.
“When we saw wokeness and DEI infiltrating the medical profession, that’s when we became concerned because medicine is the one place where everybody knows, liberals, conservatives, independents, that you need the most qualified doctor to get the best outcome,” he said.
“When diversity, equity, and inclusion says ‘No, you need doctors of a certain race’ or ‘No, we need to be teaching things from the lens of social justice rather than the biological practice of medicine,’ that’s when we got concerned,” he added.
Xu started a petition with 704 signatures, sharing his concerns about the “indulgence of wokeness and DEI in the North Carolina medical system.”
UNC’s Medical School previously required DEI statements in the hiring process. The school’s Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) declared, “A statement for each area is required as part of the C.V.”
A C.V., or “curriculum vitae” is a summary of a job candidate’s experience and qualifications when applying for a job.
According to Fox News, Dr. Niche Zama, a cardiovascular surgeon, and former Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate described UNC’s decision as “pivotal” that will “be applauded by some and rejected by others.”
UNC is not alone in its decision. Other schools and states have announced initiatives to ban DEI. In January 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced his plan to eliminate funding for DEI programs across Florida’s schools.