The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced Monday it no longer will require diversity statements from prospective faculty.
The school said the decision was directed by President Sally Kornbluth “with the support of the Provost, Chancellor, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, and all six academic deans.”
“My goals are to tap into the full scope of human talent, to bring the very best to MIT, and to make sure they thrive once here,” Kornbluth said in a statement.
“We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they don’t work.”
The decision comes as faculty diversity statements have long been decried by conservatives, who labeled them as ideological viewpoint tests for incoming professors. The statements are used by many top universities in the country.
MIT has been in the spotlight after Kornbluth testified along with the former presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania last December about antisemitism on campus. Kornbluth was the only one who kept her job after the hearing.
Those in favor of the diversity statements say it’s important to ensure a faculty member will be able to reach all students with whom they interact.