Dive Brief:
- The University of Tennessee system spends $5.5 million each year on diversity initiatives, a tiny fraction of its overall budget but still the focus of scrutiny from a legislative committee.
- The Tennessean reports that the state's Senate Higher Education Subcommittee grilled administrators on how they measure progress toward diversity goals and questioned whether they would ever consider their efforts complete.
- A UT-Knoxville post about using gender-neutral pronouns that was intensely criticized by the public triggered the special committee hearing, during which legislators asked about a range of diversity initiatives.
Dive Insight:
With a tight state budget and a conservative majority, it is not a surprise that diversity initiatives have come under intense scrutiny in Tennessee. There are institutions, however, that have recognized the value of fostering diversity among students and faculty, offering training at all levels. Colby College in Maine changed the way it hires staff, created new line items in its budget for diverse faculty members, and expanded outreach efforts to recruit a broader pool of students. Even in Tennessee there are examples. Vanderbilt announced a consortium in September to increase diversity among people of color and women along with 10 other campuses. These initiatives, of course, require money.