The University of Florida has fired its DEI staff, dissolved DEI positions, and is reallocating its $5 million DEI budget for other purposes.
The University of Florida announced that it’s firing all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff in order to comply with new state rules that prohibit DEI-related expenditures in the state’s college system.
Officials at the University of Florida announced the decision in a March 1 administrative memo, which indicates that the educational institution “has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors.”
The firings are motivated by the introduction of a new rule in January that restricts the allocation of public funds for DEI initiatives within Florida’s college system.
The Florida Board of Education, which introduced the new rule, said in a statement that the move would “ensure that taxpayer funds can no longer be used to promote DEI on Florida’s 28 state college campuses.”
The University of Florida memo says that the people impacted by the DEI-related firings will get 12 weeks of pay. They are also “allowed and encouraged” to apply for different positions at the university, with officials promising “expedited consideration” and fast-tracking of interviews.
In addition to the firings and the halting of DEI-related contracts with vendors, the University of Florida will also reallocate its roughly $5 million DEI budget into a faculty recruitment fund.
“The University of Florida is—and will always be—unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity,” the memo states. “As we educate students by thoughtfully engaging a wide range of ideas and views, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of the Gator Nation.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reacted to news of the DEI-related changes at the University of Florida in a post on X.
“Florida is where DEI goes to die,” wrote Mr. DeSantis, who has been a vocal critic of DEI and related initiatives.
Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA, a conservative student movement, called attention to the University of Florida’s move and encouraged other states to take similar actions.
“Conservatives are finally fighting back. Every red state must follow suit as soon as humanly possible. This is the way,” Mr. Kirk wrote in a post on X.
By Tom Ozimek
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