UMich Shutters DEI Office, Still Spends $15.3M on 162 Diversity-Related Employees

‘Staff titles have changed, and some diversity programs and offices have been rebranded, but much of UM’s commitment to advance DEI campus-wide remains robust’

Despite the University of Michigan shutting down its diversity, equity, and inclusion office and discontinuing its campuswide DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan one year ago, Michigan’s public flagship institution will spend $15.3 million this school year to support the salaries of 162 employees who continue to work on diversity-related efforts on campus, according to an analysis.

The university essentially rebranded the former Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, renaming it the Access and Opportunity Office, and 71 employees continue to work in five core diversity-related units headed by the new access office, the analysis found. 

What’s more, there are 91 employees who work mostly full-time for diversity-related units on campus that do not report to the Access and Opportunity Office, but whose missions continue to advance diversity efforts, such as the LGBTQ Spectrum Center, Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs division, Trotter Multicultural Center, and the Center for the Education of Women.