Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staff will no longer have a position at the University of Florida

The University of Florida announced Friday that it is eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion positions.

The change, announced in an emailed administrative memo, came after the Florida Board of Governors classified spending related to DEI programs as prohibited expenditures.

The memo states: “To comply with the requirements of the Florida Board of Governors, Regulation 9.016 Regarding prohibited spending, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative staffing, and halted DEI-related contracts with outside vendors.”

The Board defines DEI as “any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes different or preferential treatment of individuals based on such classification.”

The Regulation states that a public university “shall not expend any state or federal funds to promote, support, or maintain any program or campus activity” that violates Section 1000.05 of the Florida State Statutes, advocates for what is defined therein as diversity, equity, and inclusion, or promotes or engages in what is defined therein as political or social activism.

Section 1000.05 of Florida law, called the Florida Educational Equity Act, requires equal access opportunities and prohibits discrimination “on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or familial status” against students and employees of Florida’s K-20 public education system.

On Friday afternoon, Governor Ron DeSantis commented on X (formerly Twitter): “DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities. I am glad Florida was the first state to repeal DEI and I hope more states follow suit.”

Laid-off employees will receive the university's standard pay for 12 weeks under the direction of UF's human resources department. UF said those employees are encouraged to apply between March 1 and April 19 for expedited consideration of various positions currently open at the university. UF also said it will work to expedite the application process for those employees and respond to all applications within 12 weeks.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer will reallocate approximately $5 million to a faculty recruitment fund administered by the Office of the Provost. These funds were previously reported to Tallahassee for DEI expenses, including staff salaries and expenses.

Read for yourself: UF memo on the elimination of all diversity, equity and inclusion positions on Friday

UF's Diversity Dashboard recorded that between fall 2012 and fall 2022, nearly half of the students enrolled at the university were white. In 2012, white students made up 56.11% of 28,102 students, and in 2022, they made up 49.80% of 30,278 students.

White teachers represented 73.61% of 3,341 employees in 2012 and 64.46% of 3,700 employees in 2022. White employees represented 69.96% of 6,113 employees in 2012 and 63.32% of 6,709 employees in 2022.

The memo states that UF “is and always will remain steadfast in its commitment to universal human dignity. As we educate students by engaging with a broad range of ideas and viewpoints, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of Gator Nation. The University of Florida is an elite institution because of our incredible faculty dedicated to teaching, discovering and serving.”

The Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, the Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, the Office for Accessibility and Gender Equity, the Disability Resource Center, the RESPECT Team, and the Office of Institutional Planning and Research's Diversity Dashboard all fall under DEI at the university. None of these resources have been specifically mentioned by UF to date.

This article originally appeared in The Gainesville Sun: University of Florida lays off all diversity, equity and inclusion staff