University of Michigan Stops Soliciting DEI Statements for Hiring, Promotion

The university is ending DEI statements for faculty hiring, reflecting a national trend to reassess controversial diversity policies.

Students walk across the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Jan. 17, 2003. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

The University of Michigan has announced that it will no longer require diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements for faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions, marking a significant shift in its approach to DEI on campus.

Announced on Dec. 5, the decision followed an October recommendation by an eight-member faculty working group to end the requirement for DEI statements. The group reviewed faculty feedback and policies at peer institutions, concluding that such statements risk limiting freedom of expression and diversity of thought.