College diversity and inclusion officers rake in sky-high salaries as debt-saddled students face rising costs

Leading diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officers at public universities rake in massive salaries as students saddled with debt face rising tuition costs.

A Fox News Digital review of salary data found that the universities of Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and Virginia Tech boast some of the highest-paid DEI staffers at public universities. These institutions' top diversity employees pocket salaries ranging from $329,000 to $430,000.

The DEI employees earn substantial pay as many students take out loans to cover increasing expenses. Last week, President Biden announced plans to forgive $10,000 in student debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 annually. Pell Grant recipients will receive $20,000 in handouts if their income falls below $125,000. The student loan handout could cost taxpayers upwards of $500 billion.

Some experts have also questioned the effectiveness of DEI positions, while others say the bloated diversity staff can contribute to higher tuition costs.

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According to a Heritage Foundation study of DEI bureaucracies in higher education, the University of Michigan employed 163 individuals working on DEI initiatives as of 2021, making it the largest staff at a public university involved with such actions.

Robert Sellers, Michigan's vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer until this year, was also the highest-paid DEI official from the top 15 colleges on their list. Sellers took in $431,000 annually, disclosures show.

"We believe Rob Sellers' pay is appropriate for the executive-level position he fills at U-M and it is in line with the salary of others with similar responsibilities," Rick Fitzgerald, Michigan's associate vice president for public affairs, previously told Fox News Digital.

Sellers, who spent seven years leading the DEI department, stepped away from his role at the end of last year to make way for "new leadership, new ideas, new energy and new perspectives" in the DEI department. He remains a part of the faculty. 

Other schools with massive staff devoted to DEI initiatives also dish out handsome paychecks to their top equity personnel. 

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Georgina Dodge, the vice president at the office of diversity and inclusion at the University of Maryland, which employs 71 DEI personnel, makes $358,000 a year, a database of Maryland public employees shows.

"Our Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion is an experienced higher education administrator, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and a valued member of the president's leadership team," the University of Maryland's chief communications officer, Katie Lawson, told Fox News Digital in March. 

"She is responsible for directing the office that investigates on-campus sexual misconduct and discrimination and the office that coordinates disability accommodations, as well as leading large-scale, campuswide trainings and acadmemic [sic] support programs that serve thousands of students," Lawson had said.

Menah Pratt-Clarke, vice provost for inclusion and diversity at Virginia Tech, which has 83 DEI personnel, earns over $351,000 annually, a search of a Virginia public employee pay shows. 

"As a land grant institution and consistent with our teaching and research mission, Virginia Tech is committed to fostering and supporting a campus community that is welcoming to all," Virginia Tech's associate vice president for university relations, Mark Owczarski, told Fox News Digital.

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"We are grateful for the important work Dr. Pratt-Clarke, who, as a vice president and member of the president's cabinet oversees the offices of strategic affairs and diversity and inclusion, does on behalf of Virginia Tech and the commonwealth we serve," Owczarski said.

Kevin McDonald, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Virginia, which has 94 employees devoted to DEI, makes $340,000 annually, records show. 

"The University of Virginia's Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships is a member of the University's Executive Leadership team who has a broad portfolio of important initiatives that span the entire institution," Brian Coy, a spokesperson for the university, told Fox News Digital earlier this year.

"Our Vice President, Dr. Kevin McDonald, is a national leader in his field and we are grateful for his service to the University," Coy continued. "His pay is commensurate with other UVA senior executives who have pan-University responsibilities and it reflects the importance we place on creating an environment where people from every perspective and walk of life can live, learn, and work successfully."

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And Sean C. Garrick, vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Illinois, which has 71 DEI employees, earns nearly $330,000 annually, salary disclosures show. 

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Mark Perry, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital earlier this year that DEI departments have become costly for universities.

"It's become a very expensive part of the university's bureaucracy," Perry said. "Faculty have been concerned for a long time about administrative bloat in higher education. When you look at the cost of college over the last 10, 20, 30, 40 years, college tuition fees have gone up more than any other consumer product, good or service."

Haris Alec and Jessica Chasmar contributed reporting.