UC to no longer require diversity statements in faculty hiring

The University of California will no longer require diversity statements for faculty applicants, the system’s provost, Katherine Newman, said in a letter Wednesday to campus provosts.

The announcement comes as the Trump administration has threatened to withhold funding from universities that have programs or initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Many UC academic departments and programs for years have required applicants seeking faculty positions to describe how they have or would contribute to campus diversity, such as racial diversity. But the system’s board of regents have directed UC President Michael Drake to “ensure that diversity statements are no longer required” for new applicants, Newman wrote.

“The requirement to submit a diversity statement may lead applicants to focus on an aspect of their candidacy that is outside their expertise or prior experience,” she added.

The Trump administration last week opened investigations into more than 50 colleges nationwide, including UC Berkeley, and accused them of running programs that discriminate against white and Asian students. Trump has separately threatened to withhold funding from Berkeley and three other UC campuses — Davis, San Diego and Santa Barbara — if his administration deems they aren’t doing enough to protect Jewish students. 

In a separate statement Wednesday, the chair of UC’s board of regents, Janet Reilly, maintained that UC’s “values and commitment to our mission have not changed” despite no longer requiring diversity statements. She said UC would “continue to embrace and celebrate Californians from a variety of life experiences, backgrounds, and points of view.”

​​Berkeleyside is a media partner of EdSource, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to providing analysis on key education issues across California. Berkeleyside occasionally republishes EdSource stories we believe will be of interest to our readers.

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