Virginia leads nation in largest DEI bureaucracies in public universities: report

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EXCLUSIVE - Virginia leads the nation in having the largest diversity, equity, and inclusion [DEI] bureaucracy in public universities, according to a new report from the Heritage Foundation. 

Analysts at the Heritage Foundation measured the size of DEI bureaucracies in 65 universities that were members of one of the Power 5 athletic conferences which include the Big Ten, the Pac-12, the Southeastern Conference, and the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2021.

After measuring DEI personnel per 100 faculty members, the analysts discovered that the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University (GMU), and Virginia Tech (VT), placed the purple Old Dominion over deep blue states like California and New York in terms of having the largest DEI bureaucracies. 

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University of Virginia, USA. ( (Photo by Will Pryce/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images))

GMU has the most DEI faculty of the three. 

After reviewing GMU's DEI department, Heritage analysts concluded that their website revealed a "disturbing amount of radical content that is inappropriate for a public university supported by taxpayers." 

The discovery contradicts GMU’s "center-right reputation," the analysts claim. The report claims as an example GMU's University Life division, which hosts a Black Lives Matter website that recommends donating to or signing petitions for organizations and proposed legislation to "abolish police departments." 

Furthermore, the website links users to an article titled "Guide to Being an Anti-Racism Activist" which emphasizes that "these actions are mostly for White people." Among the actions include to "have hard conversations with yourself about the racism that lives within you."

GMU’s University Life was not counted toward the DEI total at GMU. 

GMU’s main "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" website endorses "anti-racism," which it defines as "an actionable commitment that intentionally looks at systemic levels of oppressions and challenges the paradigms, ideas, languages, and behaviors resulting from White supremacy."

"The bloated DEI bureaucracies at Virginia public universities fail to improve the campus climate, but do seek to articulate and enforce a radical ideological orthodoxy," Heritage Foundation Research Fellow Jay Greene told FOX News Digital.

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Furthermore, the Heritage Foundation analysts claimed that DEI departments tend to urge students to "embrace radical leftwing ideologies," including that people should be treated differently based on their race.

They add that "ideological indoctrination is utterly unacceptable at taxpayer-funded universities, and Virginia lawmakers must abolish the DEI bureaucracy in state-funded schools."

Diversity, equity and inclusion agendas have frequently been enmeshed with concepts from critical race theory in education.  (Adobe Stock)

"We see media reports that DEI is dying in the corporate world, because CEOs are getting that it doesn’t work, it’s anti-American, and under the current redefinition of these mom-and-apple pie words, they can’t but have unconstitutional outcomes," Heritage Foundation Research Fellow Mike Gonzalez told FOX News Digital.

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Gonzalez went on to say, "Diversity means quotas, which are unconstitutional under Bakke, equity means unequal treatment, which is unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment, and inclusion means language codes, which are unconstitutional because of the First Amendment. We have to get rid of DEI also in the academy, and it’s gratifying that Ibram X. Kendi is having to lay off one third of his staff at his Center for Antiracist Research at the Boston University. But many colleges, and the Biden Administration, will double down."

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who took office in 2022, has criticized DEI saying that it "has gone off the rails." When asked about the Heritage Foundation report, a spokesperson from Youngkin's office said the governor's administration is working to "advance equal opportunities" for Virginians. 

"Unlike the prior administration’s focus on peddling divisive concepts, the Youngkin administration has worked with college and university leaders throughout the Commonwealth to shift the focus to restoring excellence in education and providing opportunities for all students to receive a best-in-class experience. Governor Youngkin will continue to advance equal opportunities—not equal outcomes—for all Virginians," the spokesperson told FOX News Digital. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin arrives at George Mason University May 18, 2023, in Fairfax, Virginia. Youngkin delivered the commencement address for the university's 2023 graduating class.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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The report listed recommendations to combat DEI bureaucracy such as abolishing them and requiring private universities to comply with anti-discrimination law and the U.S. Constitution.

They also recommend rescinding the 2020 state law creating the position of Virginia’s Director of DEI which promotes DEI policies through the state government and working with university trustees or boards of visitors to foster more intellectual diversity on campuses.

The DEI mantra has faced criticism recently and has been addressed by government officials and higher education institutions. 

Back in May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that bans all state funding for DEI programs in the state's universities. 

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