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Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), which houses 40 academic departments and more than 30 centers, is dropping diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statements in its hiring processes.
The largest division at Harvard, FAS adopted required DEI statements less than five years ago. Now, in walking those requirements back, candidates for tenure-track positions will be required to provide a “service statement” instead of a statement on DEI. The new statement can include a commitment to DEI efforts but candidates are not required to specifically address that topic. The change came after “feedback from numerous faculty members,” The Boston Globe reported.
The move comes at a time when DEI practices are being increasingly called into question, particularly by conservatives. As a private institution, Harvard is making the move of its own accord, but DEI efforts at various public colleges have been thwarted by Republican lawmakers in recent years. Red states including Florida and Texas have broadly sought to sideline DEI efforts by eliminating state funding and creating more oversight of what colleges are allowed to teach regarding race, gender and sexual orientation.
