Updates on DEI in Texas Higher Education

The Austin-American Statesman put together a tracker for the dismantling of DEI in higher education across the U.S. As of today, these are the policy changes that have happened in Texas since Governor Abbott signed SB 17 in 2023:

Alamo Community College District: The Alamo Colleges District reassigned one employee; adopted some new policies; and made changes to training related to hiring and for managers.

Central Texas College: Central Texas College removed a “DEI officer assignment” from an existing role.

Collin College: Collin College renamed and changed the focus of its Collin Culture Council.

Dallas College: Dallas College eliminated its DEI office; reassigned employees from the office to other departments; and updated any multicultural programs to be “open to everyone.”

Del Mar College: Del Mar College updated polices, statements, and procedures that referred to “affirmative action.”

El Paso Community College: The El Paso Community College District eliminated its Diversity Programs Office; reassigned employees from the office to other departments in the college; and updated various programs and policies.

Grayson College: Grayson College eliminated its equity statement.

Lamar University: Lamar University eliminated its Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations and created a Division of Strategic Initiatives and Community Relations; reassigned a “small number” of employees to other positions in the university; and eliminated a third-party training module that was previously required for human-resources employees.

Lone Star College system: The Lone Star College system renamed its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the Office of Culture and Engagement and eliminated mandatory diversity training.

Midwestern State University: Midwestern State University renamed its Mosaic Cross Cultural Center to the Mosaic Center for Community and Belonging and changed the center’s focus in the fall of 2023 from providing services to underrepresented and first-generation students to “all students.”

Ranger College: Ranger College eliminated its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion department.

Sam Houston State University: Sam Houston State University eliminated its Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs; created an Office of Community and Civic Responsibility; and moved one employee to another position.

San Jacinto College: San Jacinto College’s central campus eliminated its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and moved the office’s employees to other positions at the college.

Stephen F. Austin State University: Stephen F. Austin State University eliminated its Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; created a Division of Student Development and Access Services to house its disability services, veterans-resource center, and peer-mentor programs; and reassigned its chief diversity officer to serve as a special adviser to the president.

Sul Ross State University: Sul Ross State University eliminated its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; created an Office of Multicultural Affairs; and reassigned one employee to another position.

Texas A&M University at College Station: Texas A&M University at College Station eliminated its Office for Diversity, which served all of the system’s campuses, and its LGBTQ+ Pride Center; created a Student Life Center that will continue some Pride Center programs that are open to all students; transferred employees to other positions; updated some hiring practices; changed some required training; and did not allow affiliates of the business school to attend the PhD Project, a network and mentorship program for minority students seeking doctoral degrees in business.

Texas A&M University system (11 campuses): Texas A&M University’s systemwide guidance banned diversity statements; eliminated mandatory training related to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation unless otherwise necessary to comply with legal guidelines; and required colleges to adapt programs to be open to everyone.

Texas Southern University: Texas Southern University made changes but did not specify them.

Texas State University: Texas State University eliminated its Division of Inclusive Excellence; created the Office of Student Involvement and Engagement; moved a “small number” of employees to other positions at the university; and eliminated mandatory DEI training for new students and employees.

Texas Tech University: Texas Tech University eliminated its Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; renamed its Black Cultural Center to the Student Enrichment Center; created a Campus Access & Engagement Office to “house other programs” for faculty, staff, and students; moved some programs from the eliminated office into other divisions like Enrollment Management, Student Life, and Academic Innovation and Student Success; transitioned employees to other positions at the university; and disaffiliated from the PhD Project, a network and mentorship program for minority students seeking doctoral degrees in business.

Texas Woman’s University: Texas Woman’s University closed its Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach; created the Center for Belonging and First-Generation Students; moved two employees to other positions; eliminated DEI modules for employee training; paused the activities of the Chancellor’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council; and modified language on digital platforms and print publications.

University of Houston: The University of Houston eliminated its Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and its LGBTQ Resource Center; created a Center for Student Advocacy and Community; moved five employees to other positions; and eliminated more than 40 DEI-related programs within identity-based hubs, Student Housing and Residential Life, Counseling and Psychological Services, and University Career Services.

University of Houston-Downtown: The University of Houston-Downtown eliminated its Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion; created a Center for Student Advocacy and Community; transitioned employees to other positions; eliminated training on topics like inclusive language, microaggressions, and “Trans 101" for its leader certificate program; and reorganized services for pregnant and working students, student organizations, and a mentoring program under the new office.

University of Houston system (four campuses): The University of Houston’s systemwide guidance banned assigning or hiring employees for DEI practices; prohibited identity consideration in hiring; required colleges to ensure that any multicultural events or organizations targeted for a specific identity be open to everyone; and withdrew from a conference hosted by the PhD Project, a network and mentorship program for minority students seeking doctoral degrees in business.

University of North Texas: The University of North Texas eliminated its Division of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access; created the Center for Belonging and Engagement; moved eight employees to other positions at the university; discontinued DEI-focused councils, events, programs, and statements in departments, schools, and offices across the university; eliminated three faculty committees focused on issues affecting women, people of color, or LGBTQ people; disbanded networking groups for new faculty, Christians, Asian Pacific Islanders, Black employees, and employees who are from other countries; eliminated the Program for Counseling Diverse Students; eliminated a seminar on diversity in the workplace in the business school; eliminated a DEI conference, the Social Justice Speaker Series, and the Social Justice Scholars program within the College of Education; eliminated two giving funds within University Advancement; discontinued Library Pride Week; eliminated the “inclusive curriculum” within the Office of the Provost’s Student Success division; and disaffiliated from the PhD Project, a network and mentorship program for minority students seeking doctoral degrees in business.

University of Texas at Austin: The University of Texas at Austin changed the name of its Office for Institutional Equity to the Center for Access and Restorative Engagement; eliminated its Multicultural Engagement Center and Gender and Sexuality Center; created the Division of Campus and Community Engagement and the Women’s Community Center, but then closed them in April; fired at least 49 employees with DEI-related roles; changed its Fearless Leadership Institute to be open to women of all ethnicities; eliminated funding and removed online and physical resources for registered student organizations, including identity-based student groups; required certain student organizations and faculty groups to conduct activities off campus and on their personal time; eliminated multicultural graduation ceremonies and welcome programs for underrepresented groups; and eliminated a scholarship program for undocumented students.

University of Texas at Dallas: The University of Texas at Dallas closed its Office of Campus Resources and Support in April and eliminated 20 DEI-related jobs.

University of Texas at San Antonio: The University of Texas at San Antonio eliminated its Office of Inclusive Excellence; halted plans to create an Office of Campus and Community Belonging; dispersed disability, campus-climate, and community-engagement services across other divisions; transitioned employees through “voluntary changes in staffing” and reassignment; and eliminated 10 percent of more than 300 DEI-related programs.

University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center made changes but did not specify them.

University of Texas system (13 campuses): The University of Texas’ systemwide guidance banned diversity statements; prohibited mandatory training related to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation unless otherwise necessary to comply with legal guidelines; required colleges to adapt programs to be open to everyone; and withdrew from the PhD Project, a network and mentorship program for minority students seeking doctoral degrees in business.