Texas State University has added DEI&A (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) into their qualifications for hiring staff and faculty.
“Diversity: We value maintaining diverse identities on our campus, through our students, faculty, staff and partnerships and at our workplace,” the university said on its website. “Equity: We value providing everyone with a variety of opportunities and unique experiences. Inclusion: We value hearing each community member’s voice. Accessibility: We ensure that students, faculty and staff of differing backgrounds and abilities have equal access to all university programs and activities.”
“Because equity and inclusion are foundational principles for Texas State, we will include DEIA as one of the university’s five institutional goals in our next strategic planning process,” university President Denise M. Trauth said in a message earlier this year.
Texas State’s policy on DEI bans any and all discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veterans’ status, and gender identity or expression. The goal is to maintain a healthy learning environment that includes everyone as well as “nurtures sensitivity” and regard for others.
The Center for Diversity and Gender Studies at Texas State’s College of the Liberal Arts has three goals. They include: 1) “A diversity of people and ideas, a spirit of inclusiveness, a global and international perspective, and a sense of community as essential conditions for campus life;” 2) “The cultivation of character and the modeling of honesty, integrity, compassion, fairness, respect, and ethical behavior, both in the classroom and beyond; and” 3) “Engaged teaching and learning based in dialogue, student involvement, and the free exchange of ideas.”
In a June 25 statement, Trauth signed off on new duties for the associate vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and chief diversity officer (CDO) positions. The president outlined that the purpose of the creation of these roles was prioritizing DEI programs among the student body, hiring diverse faculty and staff, and providing “cultural competency training” to faculty and staff.
In January, the university added DEI&A as one of the five institutional goals for the strategic planning process. It also contracted with EVERFI to train faculty and staff in DEI&A policies and requirements.
The Texas State Diversity Strategic Plan (2012-2017) lays out three main ways the university is trying to attain its targets. The first mandates diversity principles in all major decision-making processes, the second requires all university departments to adhere to their diversity standards, and the third is accountability in maintaining these standards. The university describes itself as an employer who develops and retains a diverse workforce in a climate of inclusiveness.
The university is committed to hiring employees from a diverse pool of applicants, specifically of different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills; the Diversity Plan document said. A bigger goal is to emphasize Black/African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian/Alaskan Native representation. The Diversity Strategic Plan will see an overall growth of diverse faculty and staff hires as well as the retention rate versus general faculty and staff hires. This includes administrative positions and academic chairs as well. Additionally, the university will review the Affirmative Action/Recruitment Plan on employment opportunity. Diversity Assessment and Affirmative Action/Recruitment Planning mark the top two priorities of the university's five main goals.
The cost to the Texas taxpayer resulting from the Texas State Diversity Strategic Plan comes from the plan to hire two new positions: an assistant/associate director of Equity and Access and an administrative assistant, with salaries that total $618,000 over five years. The upcoming programs require total funds of $103,400 annually, and Diversity Awards funds require $8,000 annually.
Those in favor of using DEI in the process for hiring university faculty and staff are excited for the inclusiveness and open opportunities it provides, especially for minority communities; an American Enterprise Institute (AEI) study said. Those who are against mandating DEI in the hiring process and workplace view the tactic as adhering to what is politically correct. Opponents assert that there has been a flip in hiring from quality and scholarship to now purely based on a candidate’s knowledge and experience with DEI. Critics say DEI is becoming much more important than basic qualifications at most universities. This leads to ideological conformity where candidates are removed from the pool of applicants purely for displaying poor DEI statements or not having the correct DEI experience.
In a data collection study done by AEI, it was questioned whether the strategic diversity plans put in place by universities actually attain their goals. Seeing no evidence on the betterment of campus climate or research productivity, it concluded that requiring DEI in the hiring process has instead a fundamentally political end.