Latest Casualty of Texas DEI Ban? Teacher Groups for Women, People of Color, and LGBTQ People

The University of North Texas has eliminated three Senate faculty committees and all faculty and employee resource groups to comply with Senate Bill 17, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael McPherson said in a message to faculty members Tuesday.

SB 17 is the state law that prohibits diversity, equity and inclusion departments, programs, initiatives and trainings at Texas public colleges and universities.

McPherson said UNT’s resource groups have been moved to the Provost’s Office of Faculty Success, and their “mission statements and responsibilities have been rewritten to comply with the new law.”

The email continues: “In consultation with the Office of General Counsel and the University’s Office of Integrity and Compliance, and after reviewing these mission statements as well as the new charges of the Faculty Senate committees, it has been determined that the prosecution of these groups creates ongoing problems that prevent the University from fully complying with the law.”

In an email sent earlier Tuesday, UNT Faculty Senate President Coby Condrey told faculty senators that trustees would abolish the Committee on the Status of Women Faculty, the Committee on the Status of Faculty of Color and the Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Faculty.

Condrey, who is the research support services librarian for the UNT Libraries, also mentioned that faculty and staff resource groups are being eliminated.

The UNT Office of the Provost on Faculty Success website defines faculty resource groups as “a group of faculty connected by a common background, purpose, ideology, or interest” and states that they are open to all faculty members. Current faculty resource groups are listed as the Black Faculty Network, International Faculty Network, La Colectiva, LGBTQ+ Faculty Network, New Faculty Network, Professional Faculty Network, and Women & Gender Equity Network.

The Office of the Provost’s website states that employee resource groups are “volunteer-led, employee-led groups that foster a diverse and inclusive workplace aligned with the mission, values, goals, business practices and objectives of the organization.” Current groups include: Asian Pacific Islander Network, Black Professional Network, Neurodiversity Professional Network, ÚNeTe, UNT Christian Network, UNT Gender and Sexuality Employee Resource Group and Community Building and Integrity Network.

McPherson’s message concludes by saying that the latest changes do not alter UNT’s commitment to its people and its mission.

“Our university is committed to providing a welcoming environment for our community that reflects the people of Texas,” he wrote. “We continue to care for and support our faculty and staff as they work to serve all of our students. We are proud to be an institution that supports all students, including our first-generation, low-income and underserved students. We are also proud to be a welcoming community for all.”