TEXAS, USA — The Texas A&M University System has been directed to remove its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statements from employment and admission practices.
“No university or agency in the A&M System will admit any student, nor hire any employee based on any factor other than merit,” said Chancellor John Sharp who gave the order.
The Texas A&M University System said immediately after receiving Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's letter on DEI policies in February, Sharp ordered all A&M system institutions to review their employment and admission practices and confirm their compliance with Abbott's memo which called DEI policies illegal in hiring.
The new system-wide policy now standardizes hiring and admission policies and instructs universities and agencies to make all websites or printed materials dealing with employment and admission practices compliant with Abbott's directive.
“The Texas A&M University System will continue its land grant mission by ensuring Texans from all walks of life are served by our institutions,” Chancellor Sharp said. “We believe serving Texas can be accomplished best by recruiting the brightest and most qualified students, faculty and staff.”
Last week, the University of Texas System announced it was pausing its DEI policies on its campuses.
“Given the clear legislative focus, we have paused any new DEI policies on our campuses and have asked for reports on current policies on our campuses,” Chairman Kevin Eltife said during Wednesday’s board meeting. “This will give our board a chance to review the various policies system-wide.”
What does DEI mean?
Diversity, equity and inclusion is a moniker used for policies developed to provide guidance in workplaces, government offices and college campuses intended to increase representation and foster an environment that emphasizes fair treatment to groups that have historically faced discrimination. DEI policies can include resources for underrepresented groups, which can include people with disabilities, LGBTQ people and veterans. In hiring, it can include setting diversity goals or setting thresholds to ensure that a certain number of diverse candidates are interviewed. At universities, DEI offices are often focused on helping students of color or nontraditional students stay in school and graduate.
The governor’s directive represents the latest effort by Republican leaders fighting back against policies and academic disciplines that Republicans nationwide have deemed “woke.” DEI, along with critical race theory, has become a target of conservatives who argue that white people are being unfairly treated or characterized in schools and workplaces.
“Rebranding this employment discrimination as ‘DEI’ doesn’t make the practice any less illegal,” Abbott’s chief of staff Gardner Pate wrote. “Further, when a state agency spends taxpayer dollars to fund offices, departments, or employee positions dedicated to promoting forbidden DEI initiatives, such actions are also inconsistent with the law.”
Gov. Abbott's office released the following statement after the memo was released:
“The letter from the Governor’s chief of staff is a reminder that state agencies and public universities must follow federal and state law in their hiring practices. Both federal and state law make equity quotas illegal. Equity is not equality. Here in Texas, we give people a chance to advance based on talent and merit. Aspiring to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream, we should not be judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.”
This story comes from The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues.