The agency said it is reorganizing its services in two new offices.
The University of Utah announced Thursday that it will eliminate its Women's and LGBT Center, create two new programs and rename a third program in an effort to comply with legislation banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The Women's Resource Center and the LGBT Resource Center are scheduled to close as a result of the “Equal Opportunity Initiatives” law, which takes effect July 1, according to a press release.
The bill requires “student services.” [to] It is available to all students and will not be provided to individual students based on ‘personal identity characteristics,’” the release said.
The university also announced that it is creating two new programs: the Student Access and Resource Center and the Community and Cultural Engagement Center.
The cultural center is “pending approval from the Utah Commission on Higher Education,” a requirement of the new law. If approved, the work will focus on “cultural education, celebration, engagement and awareness,” the university says.
The two new centers will offer “student services and cultural offerings” similar to those previously provided by the Women's and LGBT Center, but those services are being “reorganized” to comply with the law, according to a press release.
Meanwhile, the agency also announced plans to rename the American Indian Resource Center. The new name will be the Center for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement.
Despite the changes, the university did not eliminate any staff positions. However, “some of their job descriptions and duties will change,” according to the press release.
Additionally, “the Black Cultural Center building in Port Douglas will remain open as a community gathering space.” The school “will continue to celebrate June 1, Martin Luther King Jr. Week, Pride Week, Women's Week and Heritage Month.” It says:
Lori McDonald, vice president for student affairs, said in a press release that the changes involve more than just a name.
“I want to be clear that we face very difficult decisions as we evaluate how we can best comply with the law,” McDonald said. “The legislation and subsequent guidance require fundamental changes in the way we approach student support and we will follow the law. This is not about changing the words we use. “We are changing the way we approach our work.”
The law, which passed the state Legislature this spring, strips diversity, equity and inclusion policies from Utah's public universities and government agencies. college fix It has been reported.
Above all, it is prohibited for public institutions to require adherence to a specific ideology as a condition for graduation or employment.
Another public university in Utah is also eliminating its program under the law.
According to KSL.com, Weber State University in Ogden recently announced plans to “eliminate seven cultural centers that were geared toward diverse segments of campus, including Black, Latino, women and LGBTQ students.”
More: Republican-controlled Capitol sweeps Utah bill to ban DEI access.
Image: University of Utah/Facebook
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