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The University of Utah will no longer use diversity statements in hiring, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The paper shared a screenshot of the email President Taylor Randall sent announcing the move to all university leaders involved in hiring new employees.
“In light of recent statements made by elected leaders and directives from the Utah Board of Higher Education to eliminate diversity questions or statements used in hiring at Utah’s higher education institutions, all hiring units at the university should discontinue the use of any type of diversity statements or similar practices,” Randall’s message read.
Utah governor Spencer Cox has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, calling it “bordering on evil” to require prospective employees to sign diversity statements before joining public institutions, The Deseret News reported.
The University of Utah—along with the state’s seven other public colleges and universities—has said it does not require such statements of new hires. The Salt Lake Tribune noted that some postings for jobs at the public flagship ask candidates to describe their DEI experience but do not mandate pledges of any kind.
The Utah Board of Education last month issued a statement saying that most state institutions had already stopped using diversity statements in hiring, and those that still did had been instructed to “wind down” the practice.
Randall’s email Friday affirmed the University of Utah’s “commitment to nondiscriminatory hiring practices and the wellbeing” of all campus constituents.
