UT austin

UT lays off dozens of staffers to comply with Texas' DEI ban, advocacy groups say

A week after a lawmaker warned university leaders about repercussions for not following Texas’ DEI ban, UT announces more efforts to reduce its programs

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In a continued effort to comply with Texas’ DEI ban, the University of Texas at Austin is laying off dozens of staff members, advocacy groups said.

UT President Jay Hartzell announced in a message to the school community on Tuesday the closure of the division of campus and community engagement — a division predominantly operated by former DEI positions — in an effort to “streamline student-facing” programs. Hartzell’s email did not mention layoffs.

University officials have not confirmed how many people lost jobs due to closing the division. They did not respond to questions about the cuts but referred to Hartzell’s message.

The move to further scale back offerings comes about a week after Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, sent a letter to colleges across the state warning them of repercussions if they only change the names of jobs or programs but continue pursuing DEI work.

Click here to read more on the layoffs from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

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