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University of Missouri eliminates diversity and equity department, bowing to Republican pressures
July 30, 2024
University of Missouri System President Mun Choi joined by Vice Chancellor Maurice Gipson
The University of Missouri will eliminate its division focused on diversity, social equity and inclusion on the Columbia campus, completing the dismantling of administrative structures put in place after protests in 2015 brought national attention to issues of racial equality.
The move coincides with the departure of division Vice Chancellor Maurice Gipson. It is designed to appease Republicans who are showing hostility towards efforts designed to attract and retain students from historically underrepresented groups, Mun Choi, University of Missouri System president and Columbia campus chancellor, said at a briefing with reporters last week.
There have been 13 bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion filed in the legislature over the past two years Choi noted. During debate on the state budget during 2023, Republicans in the Missouri House added language banning any diversity efforts across state government, language that was deleted before the final budget passed.
One of the leading Republican candidates for governor, state Sen. Bill Eigel, has said he will fire every state employee who works to promote diversity and equity in state agencies, including universities.
“We realize the political situations that have occurred in other universities across the United States, including Texas, and Florida, Utah, and now Alabama, as well as many others,” Choi said.
Choi said the university has lobbied heavily against legislative action.
“We do believe that our proactive approaches in the past have really played an important role when diverting these bills from passing and I will be sharing our plans with elected leaders beginning this week,” he said.
The top goal is to protect the university’s operating and capital appropriations, Choi said.
“As a university we see about $500 million per year in appropriations and $200 million in capital one-time projects,” Choi said. “If we don’t see the $700 million dollars per year, we would have to eliminate every single position at all of the colleges that we have at universities. That is not a risk that I want to take
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University of Missouri eliminates diversity and equity department, bowing to Republican pressures
UM System president Mun Choi said that the Department of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, which was established after protests about racial equality in 2015, will be dismantled and moved into other offices to reduce political visibility and protect its budget.
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