These States Are Pushing To Force Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Programs In Higher Education

Democratic Massachusetts state Sen. Nick Collins introduced Senate Bill 1973 which would require “every state and quasi-state agency” to establish a senior DEI position, according to its text. New York’s Senate Bill 1452, introduced by Democratic state Sen. James Sanders Jr., would require each State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) campus to “establish courses of study on ethnic studies, women’s studies, and social justice” which students would have to complete three-credits of as a graduation requirement.

In New Jersey, Bill A3944, introduced by Democratic Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, would require public higher education institutions to create a plan that emphasizes how it will increase the recruitment and retention of diverse students and faculty, the document reads. It would also require the “Secretary of Higher Education and Division on Civil Rights to develop guidance regarding diversity in faculty search and selection process.”

The bills run counter to efforts in states such as Florida, where lawmakers are considering House Bill 999 which would prohibit courses in topics including gender studies, Critical Race Theory (CRT), intersectionality and DEI and prohibit universities from requiring potential employees to submit a statement outlining their commitment to DEI or CRT. National education organizations condemned the legislation as an attack on academic freedom and alleged it would “effectively silence faculty and students across the ideological spectrum and purge whole fields of study from public universities.”