University of California drops diversity statements in hiring amid threats of Trump cutting funding
The University of California (UC) has become the latest high-profile school to drop diversity statements from its hiring practices.
On Wednesday, the university’s provost Katherine S. Newman sent out a letter to the system’s leaders informing them that diversity statements are no longer required for new applicants.
Newman wrote that while some programs and departments have required them, the university has never had a policy of diversity statements and believes it could harm applicant evaluation.
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"The requirement to submit a diversity statement may lead applicants to focus on an aspect of their candidacy that is outside their expertise or prior experience," the letter obtained by Fox News Digital read.
She added that employees and applicants can still reference accomplishments related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on their own, but requiring stand-alone diversity statements is no longer permitted.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly said that the university will still continue to honor its commitment to "embrace and celebrate Californians from a variety of life experiences, backgrounds, and points of view."
UC follows the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Michigan in eliminating diversity statements as elite colleges start scaling back on DEI initiatives.
The news came one month after a letter from the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights was sent out to departments of education across all 50 states warning them to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies or risk legal consequences, including a loss of federal funding.
The Trump administration already pulled $400 million in grants to Columbia University earlier this month, citing the school’s failure to address rising antisemitism on campus.
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Though the school was unclear whether these were factors in the decision to remove diversity statements, UC President Michael Drake also announced a system-wide hiring freeze and several cost-saving measures ahead of a significant state budget cut and any potential federal challenges in the future.