In a growing backlash against woke culture, the board of the University of North Carolina moved to ban diversity, equity and inclusion requirements from its hiring and promotion process this week.
The school’s Board of Governors voted to ban DEI statements from hiring and tenure decisions, according to a report.
The Chapel Hill-based school “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,” according to the decision, made Thursday.
A non-profit that has been advocating for an end to DEI requirements in institutions across the country, took credit for the move.
Kenny Xu, president of Color Us United, said his group has been behind the push to abolish DEI at UNC’S medical school, and started a petition that now has 614 signatures.
The petition includes the statement, “I am deeply concerned about the indulgence of wokeness and DEI in the North Carolina medical system. It makes me feel like I am part of a radical social experiment, rather than a patient to be trusted and cared for.”
The medical school’s Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion and Tenure previously declared that “A statement for each area is required as part of the C.V.” and “should outline depth and breadth of efforts in each area, including but not limited to impact of work, philosophy and style, team-based projects, and mentee interactions.”
Earlier this month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced an initiative to ban DEI from state-funded schools.