William J. Samford Hall at Auburn University rises behind an Auburn University sign on August 14, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
Auburn University officials said Monday the school will close its Office of Inclusion and Diversity to comply with an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) law passed by state legislators last spring.
Officials said in a statement that the office would be dissolved Aug. 15. Staff will fill other existing positions while others will be assigned to new roles within recruitment, admissions of fill needs that support student success and student organizations.
“We remain resolute in our commitment to deliver exceptional experiences and to support all students, with particular emphasis on providing access and opportunity,” officials said in the statement. “We are dedicated to ensuring the First Amendment is celebrated and that all students, faculty and staff are welcomed, valued, respected and engaged.”
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SB 129, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, limited the use of public funds for DEI and limited the ability of public employees to discuss so-called “divisive concepts.” A person violating the act could face discipline or lose their job.
An email was sent to the media relations team with Auburn University on Monday seeking additional comment.
The University of Alabama System last week announced that it was closing its DEI offices, but said they would be replaced by new agencies emphasizing access and opportunity.
After the Legislature passed the bill into law, the Auburn University Senate announced at the April 16 meeting that the Provost’s Office led an initiative to determine how the university would continue with its mission and goals as SB 129 became law.
Working groups were formed of different groups associated with the university, from staff and students, to faculty, administrators and alumni. Each offered recommendations for moving forward with Auburn’s governing groups, senior leadership, the president’s leadership council and the Board of Trustees’ leadership.
“We would like to thank these members of the Auburn family for their thoughtful, considerate and timely engagement in these discussions,” officials said in the statement.
The University of Alabama and Auburn University are, constitutionally, under the control of their own boards. That raised some uncertainty regarding the schools’ response to the actions taken by lawmakers.
Auburn had about 33,000 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in the fall of 2023. About 79% of those were white. 4.9% were Black; 4.3% were Hispanic and 2.8% were Asian.
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