UNC Trustees Slash Diversity Funding Amid Protests, Shift Money To Campus Police
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Monday to dismantle its diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and reallocate $2.3 million in funding to public safety and campus police. The decision comes in the wake of anti-Israel demonstrations that have led to several arrests on campus in recent weeks.
As part of its annual budget approval process, the board voted to transfer funds from DEI programs to law enforcement. Board Chair David Boliek cited the university’s “administrative bloat” and emphasized the importance of diverting dollars to “rubber-meets-the-road efforts like public safety and teaching.”
The funding cut, effective July 1, 2024, is anticipated to result in job losses, potentially including the elimination of UNC’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion, which currently employs 12 staff members. The final decision on the fate of the diversity office rests with interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and his team.
Trustee Marty Kotis stressed the need to consider the safety of all 30,000 students, not just the 100 or so protesters who may seek to disrupt university operations. The board’s vote precedes next week’s anticipated vote by the UNC Board of Governors on changing the diversity policy for all 17 public universities statewide.
