U.S. Department of Education building in Washington D.C. Photo by Andy Feliciotti, courtesy of Unsplash.
The University of Alaska Board of Regents passed a motion striking language related to “diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion” across the University of Alaska system on Feb. 21, to “comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination laws.”
The Department of Education released a document on changes to DEI policy at public universities that contained information contradicting the Board of Regents' motion a week later, stating: “Whether a policy or program violates Title VI does not depend on the use of specific terminology such as 'diversity,' 'equity,' or 'inclusion.'”
Although the Department of Education released the guidelines a week after the Board of Regents' motion had passed, the board did not amend or reverse the policy after the guidelines were made public.
The document also stated that federally funded institutions must consider if programs discourage members from attending, either by excluding or creating hostile environments for particular races.
It's unclear if the guidelines will have an impact on university programs oriented toward specific populations at this time.
The Northern Light reached out to UA Board of Regents Chair Ralph Seekins for a comment, but he was unavailable to meet before this report’s publication.
UA Public Affairs Director Jonathon Taylor commented on the board’s decision to uphold the anti-DEI motion despite new guidelines on federal policy.
Taylor said, “I do think that the board was speaking to act in the best interest of the university when they passed that motion.”
“I can't speak to why they might not have done something or why they might have changed something, that would be a question for the board,” said Taylor.
This report is part of an investigative series on recent changes related to DEI at UAA and will be followed by additional coverage.
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