U. Michigan Closes DEI Office Yet Still Spends Millions on 162 Diversity-Related Employees
“When UM announced last March that it was discontinuing campuswide DEI programming, including abandoning its DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan, some expected diversity staff layoffs”
So many schools are doing this. They’re changing names only and thinking they can just wait out the Trump administration.
The College Fix reports:
UMich shutters DEI office, still spends $15.3 million on 162 diversity-related employees
Despite the University of Michigan shutting down its diversity, equity, and inclusion office and discontinuing its campuswide DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan one year ago, Michigan’s public flagship institution will spend $15.3 million this school year to support the salaries of 162 employees who continue to work on diversity-related efforts on campus, according to an analysis.
The university essentially rebranded the former Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, renaming it the Access and Opportunity Office, and 71 employees continue to work in five core diversity-related units headed by the new access office, the analysis found.
What’s more, there are 91 employees who work mostly full-time for diversity-related units on campus that do not report to the Access and Opportunity Office, but whose missions continue to advance diversity efforts, such as the LGBTQ Spectrum Center, Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs division, Trotter Multicultural Center, and the Center for the Education of Women.
“When UM announced last March that it was discontinuing campuswide DEI programming, including abandoning its DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan, some expected diversity staff layoffs at UM and cost savings from a reduced diversity bureaucracy that could be redirected elsewhere,” said economist Mark J. Perry, who conducted the analysis and provided his results to The College Fix.
However, Perry said, for the 2025-26 school year there have been no staff layoffs of what he calls “diversicrats” at the macro level, nor have there been associated cost savings resulting from a shrinking diversity bureaucracy.
“Staff titles have changed, and some diversity programs and offices have been rebranded, but much of UM’s commitment to advance DEI campus-wide remains robust, perhaps just less visible to the public than before,” said Perry, a retired University of Michigan-Flint professor.
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Comments
Leftists – which includes most “university” administrators – lie. It’s what they do.
Until I can trust and verify that UofM is not deceptive, they ain’t getting a dime of my money or a recommendation for anyone apply to their institution.
Universities as a whole have shown a disturbing level of self righteous wokeness, and I need Michigan to prove their sincerity to me. Unfortunately I fear the rot is deep.
The outgoing President of Syracuse University will take over in May. Can you please update us on what changes he makes?
A leopard might rename himself.
He can’t change his spots.
Why would anyone believe any institution that loudly proclaims that it’s abandoning DEI initiatives, offices or staff?
What that institution is saying is that it’s renewing its commitment and Hell will freeze over before it abandons it.