The University of Florida has eliminated all “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) positions, according to a memo sent this afternoon by the institution’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
“To comply with the Florida Board of Governor’s regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors,” the memo states.
The promising move comes as a result of legislation enacted last year by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“Every college and university in America should do this now!” YAF President Governor Scott Walker remarked in reaction to the news.
Every college and university in America should do this now! https://t.co/qrEO0YmQSK
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) March 1, 2024
Caitlyn McCoy, chairwoman of Young Americans for Freedom at the University of Florida, also shared in that sentiment, telling the New Guard, “Our institution should be focusing on teaching us how to think, not what to think. Hopefully other universities and colleges across the nation will be inspired by the steps taken here at UF.”
McCoy and her fellow YAFers have played a significant role in ensuring that conservative ideas are heard on campus by inviting some of the leading voices in the Conservative Movement, including Ben Shapiro, Paula Scanlan, and Elisha Krauss, among others, to speak.
“We look forward to continuing to host campus lectures and activism projects in order to ensure that the only important form of diversity–of thought–exists here at UF,” she added.
