University of Wisconsin agrees to cut diversity initiatives in exchange for state funding

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents in an unexpected reversal made a deal with Republican lawmakers Wednesday to cut back on diversity initiatives in their institutions in exchange for state funding that will cover staff expenses.

The board voted 11-6 on the matter Wednesday after days of deliberation.

Officials said the deal — which will freeze a certain number of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) positions in the school system — will open the door for more than $800 million to be used for several initiatives, including pay raises and school projects.

The school system said it plans to realign at least 43 DEI positions over the next two years through “restructuring and reimagining of the DEI function,” according to notes in the board’s meeting book. They also agreed to eliminate a program that primarily focuses on workforce diversity.

The board rejected a similar deal over the weekend in a 9-8 vote after Democrats warned it would negatively affect minority and LGBTQ students and faculty, The Associated Press reported.

The new agreement will require the more than a dozen institutions to remain in compliance to the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year to strike down affirmative action in college admissions. The June ruling upended a decades-long practice of colleges and universities sometimes using race as a deciding factor in a person’s acceptance to the school.

It also comes as more than a dozen state legislatures across the country have either introduced or passed legislation eliminating DEI initiatives in state colleges and universities.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) expressed his “disappointment” with the board’s decision in a statement.

“Rash political decisions, rhetoric, and threats help no one. Conversations regarding critical, necessary investments in the UW System should continue in the weeks ahead, and it would be my expectation that all parties be interested, engaged, and meaningful participants in that process,” Evers said in his statement.

“I continue to urge Legislative Republicans to release the UW System employee raises and investments that were already negotiated, agreed upon, and approved in the biennial budget,” he continued. “They should’ve done so months ago, and they can and should do so today without further delay.”

In contrast, the University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman showed gratitude to the board for the decision, acknowledging that “not everyone will be happy” with it. 

“Compromise can be extraordinarily difficult, and I acknowledge that not everyone will be happy,” Rothman wrote Wednesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Significant priorities that will benefit our students are in this agreement. Our commitments are conditioned on legislative action.”

“We expect the state legislature will now honor the agreement we reached, which I believe, on balance, is in the best interest of the UWs and our state,” he added.