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The governing board of Mississippi’s public universities voted Thursday to remove the word “diversity” from several policies, Mississippi Today reported.
Although the State Legislature has not banned diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices in higher education, as some states have, the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees voted to eliminate the word “in order to ensure continued compliance with state and federal law,” according to the board book, which contains the meeting agenda and notes.
The trustees excised whole passages from their policy guidelines, deleting the first word from the “Diversity Statement on Higher Education Access and Success.”
The statement used to say, in part, “One of the strengths of Mississippi is the diversity of its people. This diversity enriches higher education and contributes to the capacity that our students develop for living in a multicultural and interdependent world.“
Now it says, “IHL recognizes that the effectiveness of our academic community is enhanced by embracing the perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences of all students, faculty, and staff … All students should be supported in their educational journey through programming and services designed to have a positive effect on their individual academic performance, retention, and graduation.”
A policy on institutional scholarships was also changed to eliminate a clause requiring such programs to “promote diversity.”
Instead, it reads, “IHL is committed to higher education access and success among all populations to assist the state of Mississippi in meeting its enrollment and degree completion goals, as well as building a highly-skilled workforce.”
John Sewell, IHL’s communications director, told Mississippi Today that “the end goal is to support all students, and to make sure they graduate fully prepared to enter the workforce, hopefully in Mississippi.”
