The University of Wisconsin-Madison is closing its Division of Diversity, Equity and Education Achievement, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. Most of the division’s programs and staff members, however, will be moved to other university departments.
Employee support will reportedly be relocated to the Office of Human Resources, while staff focused on institutional data collection will move to Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research.
Around 100 employees worked in the Diversity, Equity and Education Achievement division, according to UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas, and “fewer than 10” in administrative support, event support and communications roles were given layoff notice on Wednesday.
Lucas also said the university is not eliminating any scholarships or support programs for minority students.
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin last fall asked then-Provost Charles Isbell and a working group to complete a data-informed review of how the university supports undergraduates and helps those from different backgrounds thrive.
The group continued gathering input through the 2024-25 school year and made three main recommendations, which were accepted by Mnookin, along with other actions. Click here to learn more.
The news from UW-Madison follows Republican-ordered audits in April, which found that Wisconsin state agencies and UW have failed to track the millions of dollars they spent on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Auditors estimated, however, that UW spent around $40 million on offices with DEI-related duties.
UW-Madison spent the most on DEI in fiscal year 2023-24 — a total of roughly $21.8 million — and in January, LaVar Charleston, who led the Division of Diversity, Equity and Education Achievement, was removed from his position.
