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The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/black-texas-college-student-defends-black-graduation-given-history-us-light-dei-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Texas at Austin</a> fired dozens of employees who worked in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs to comply with a new state law, according to a report.University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell <a href="https://president.utexas.edu/organizational-changes" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">announced</a> Tuesday the school’s Division of Campus and Community Engagement is being dissolved and its programs and funding transferred to other divisions. The announcement comes as the university works to comply with a new Texas law that came into effect Jan. 1, which effectively dissolved DEI institutions at public colleges and universities throughout the state.The <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/04/02/texas-senate-bill-17-anti-dei-ut-fires-four-staff-related-positions-two-sources-confirm/73179902007/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Austin American-Statesman</a> reported that a person with knowledge about the situation said 60 positions that were related to DEI work were eliminated at UT-Austin. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/harvard-law-professor-urges-university-abandon-dei-statements-ideological-pledges-allegiance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HARVARD LAW PROFESSOR URGES UNIVERSITY TO 'ABANDON' DEI STATEMENTS: 'IDEOLOGICAL PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE'</a>The law mandates that all governing boards of public colleges and universities ensure that their institutions prohibit the establishment and maintenance of a DEI office and the issue of "DEI Statements." In addition, hiring practices and training are no longer <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/mark-cuban-tweet-dei-hiring-practices-draws-criticism-social-media-users-federal-official" target="_blank" rel="noopener">able to use DEI statements</a>."I recognize that strong feelings have surrounded SB 17 from the beginning and will shape many Longhorns’ perceptions of these measures," Hartzell wrote in reference to the new law. "It is also important that this continues to be a welcoming, supportive community for all."In the message, Hartzell said student-facing jobs would remain throughout the rest of the semester and that laid-off employees could apply for other positions at the university. The firings came after state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R., outlined expectations on how universities will comply with the state law. He wrote a <a href="https://mcusercontent.com/97acf22aca6983d50d142ba88/files/2094d322-b63e-9c09-9f97-42b0169c58d2/3.26.24_.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">letter</a> expressing the serious nature of the bill, saying that the measure "mandates a fundamental shift in the operation of our higher education institutions." He added that universities are expected to facilitate a "merit-based environment."<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-university-joins-growing-list-colleges-reinstating-standardized-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TEXAS UNIVERSITY JOINS GROWING LIST OF COLLEGES REINSTATING STANDARDIZED TESTING</a>Furthermore, he explained that the Texas Senate Committee on Education is expected to hold a hearing in May, probing chancellors and "general counselors" of higher education institutions to show how their universities are complying with the law. If universities fail to comply with the state law, they could lose funding, Creighton warned. Among 5 specific questions on compliance, university spokespeople are expected to explain, "How has your institution ensured that there are no DEI offices or officers on campus, or no individuals or organizations performing the duties of a DEI office or officer?"<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-university-cancel-cultural-graduations-light-new-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cultural graduations were another casualty</a> of the effect of the law, prompting outrage from some students.When the university’s Multicultural Engagement Center (MEC) was closed in compliance with the state’s law, Black Graduation, Latinx Graduation, and GraduAsian ceremonies were impacted as a result.Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/crenshaw-takes-mandatory-dei-statements-colleges-universities-new-house-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced a bill</a> to freeze federal funding to colleges and universities that force students to sign or make statements on DEI.The University of Florida <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/university-florida-fires-all-dei-employees-compliance-state-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired all its DEI employees</a> in compliance with state law last week.

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published: 2024-04-03 01:09:01.000000000 Z
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 guid: https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-university-clears-dei-offices-fires-employees-light-new-state-law-report
title: 'Texas university clears DEI offices, fires employees in light of new state
 law: report'
categories:
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content: 'The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/black-texas-college-student-defends-black-graduation-given-history-us-light-dei-ban"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Texas at Austin</a> fired dozens of
 employees who worked in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs to
 comply with a new state law, according to a report.University of Texas at
 Austin President Jay Hartzell <a href="https://president.utexas.edu/organizational-changes"
 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">announced</a> Tuesday the school’s Division
 of Campus and Community Engagement is being dissolved and its programs and funding
 transferred to other divisions. The announcement comes as the university
 works to comply with a new Texas law that came into effect Jan. 1, which effectively
 dissolved DEI institutions at public colleges and universities throughout the state.The
 <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/04/02/texas-senate-bill-17-anti-dei-ut-fires-four-staff-related-positions-two-sources-confirm/73179902007/"
 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Austin American-Statesman</a> reported that
 a person with knowledge about the situation said 60 positions that were related
 to DEI work were eliminated at UT-Austin. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/harvard-law-professor-urges-university-abandon-dei-statements-ideological-pledges-allegiance"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">HARVARD LAW PROFESSOR URGES UNIVERSITY TO
 ''ABANDON'' DEI STATEMENTS: ''IDEOLOGICAL PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE''</a>The
 law mandates that all governing boards of public colleges and universities ensure
 that their institutions prohibit the establishment and maintenance of a DEI office
 and the issue of "DEI Statements." In addition, hiring practices and training are
 no longer <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/mark-cuban-tweet-dei-hiring-practices-draws-criticism-social-media-users-federal-official"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">able to use DEI statements</a>."I recognize
 that strong feelings have surrounded SB 17 from the beginning and will shape many
 Longhorns’ perceptions of these measures," Hartzell wrote in reference to the new
 law. "It is also important that this continues to be a welcoming, supportive community
 for all."In the message, Hartzell said student-facing jobs would remain throughout
 the rest of the semester and that laid-off employees could apply for other positions
 at the university. The firings came after state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R.,
 outlined expectations on how universities will comply with the state law. He wrote
 a <a href="https://mcusercontent.com/97acf22aca6983d50d142ba88/files/2094d322-b63e-9c09-9f97-42b0169c58d2/3.26.24_.pdf"
 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">letter</a> expressing the serious nature
 of the bill, saying that the measure "mandates a fundamental shift in the operation
 of our higher education institutions." He added that universities are expected to
 facilitate a "merit-based environment."<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-university-joins-growing-list-colleges-reinstating-standardized-testing"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">TEXAS UNIVERSITY JOINS GROWING LIST OF
 COLLEGES REINSTATING STANDARDIZED TESTING</a>Furthermore, he
 explained that the Texas Senate Committee on Education is expected to hold a hearing
 in May, probing chancellors and "general counselors" of higher education institutions
 to show how their universities are complying with the law. If universities fail
 to comply with the state law, they could lose funding, Creighton warned. Among
 5 specific questions on compliance, university spokespeople are expected to explain,
 "How has your institution ensured that there are no DEI offices or officers on campus,
 or no individuals or organizations performing the duties of a DEI office or officer?"<a
 href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-university-cancel-cultural-graduations-light-new-law"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cultural graduations were another casualty</a> of
 the effect of the law, prompting outrage from some students.When the university’s
 Multicultural Engagement Center (MEC) was closed in compliance with the state’s
 law, Black Graduation, Latinx Graduation, and GraduAsian ceremonies were impacted
 as a result.Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/crenshaw-takes-mandatory-dei-statements-colleges-universities-new-house-bill"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced a bill</a> to freeze federal funding
 to colleges and universities that force students to sign or make statements on DEI.The
 University of Florida <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/university-florida-fires-all-dei-employees-compliance-state-law"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired all its DEI employees</a> in compliance with
 state law last week.'
summary: The University of Texas at Austin reportedly fired 60 employees who worked
 in their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, in compliance with state law.
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url: https://www.foxnews.com/media/texas-university-clears-dei-offices-fires-employees-light-new-state-law-report
image: https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/04/931/523/dei-texas.jpg?ve=1&tl=1

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