DEI initiatives, institutional neutrality and a compulsory education in the United States’ founding documents are among a number of sweeping new changes instigated by the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents.
26 colleges and universities across the state will be impacted by the changes, as well as the Georgia Archives and the Georgia Public Library Service.
“USG institutions shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission,” according to the proposed revisions.
Ideological tests, affirmations, and diversity statements are set to be banned from admissions processes, while applicants will no longer be asked questions about their political beliefs. Meanwhile, recruitment will focus on potential employees possessing “the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the role, and is believed to have the ability to successfully perform the essential functions, responsibilities, and duties associated with the position for which the individual is being considered.”
Beginning next year, students will study historic documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Articles of Confederation, the Federalist Papers, the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, as well as the Georgia Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The move follows a recent shift away from DEI initiatives by universities following Republican efforts to eradicate wokeism. Earlier this year, the University of North Carolina axed its DEI programs in changes which were expected to save around $17 million.
Some commenters on social media noted how the changes came into effect shortly after Trump’s victory in the presidential election.
Others called for similar reforms across the rest of the nation.
