When even the Washington Post calls for rolling back a part of woke culture, you know it’s long past time for universities to pay attention.
In a Sunday editorial, the Post board” wrote that “The last thing academia — or the country — needs is another incentive for people to be insincere or dishonest. Whatever their original intent, the use of DEI statements has too often resulted in self-censorship and ideological policing.” University DEI statements, or “loyalty oaths” as many critics have called them, demand written statements from applicants and faculty attesting to their political belief and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
U of I’s requirement is among the most egregious because it goes further than demanding agreement with DEI principles: It mandates DEI work and requires annual statements demonstrating that work. We described it in detail here.
Aside from being a blatant affront to academic freedom, U of I’s requirement is also begging for a lawsuit, being an unconstitutional violation of the “forced speech” prohibition in First Amendment law, as we explained here.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the most recent university to cancel a policy requiring DEI statements. With so much damage already done to the reputation of universities, it may already be too late, as The Federalist wrote here.
Get on the bus, U of I. At a minimum, maybe you’ll get back some of the contributors you’ve lost.
-Mark Glennon
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
I can hear the new chant being mandated at football and basketball games:
I – L – L … D – E – I
Next they will get rid of Chief Illiniwek…oh wait…never mind.
I’m a gay man with HIV who has been banned entirely from health services in Champaign County.
Carle and Christie have banned me, and now I’m having SEVERE issues at OSF.
Do you think HIV LGBTQ+ malpractice/discrimination/conspiracy/etc lawsuits against ALL THREE Champaign-Urbana hospitals will bring DEI to it’s knees?
Illinois is run entirely by the extreme progressive left. They’ve made a big investment in DEI and it isn’t going anywhere.
Exactly. Come November, remember, don’t vote for any Democrats.
Agreed……but remember, it’s who counts the votes!
Does Univ of Illinois think it has any competition? Certainly not from other public schools in the state. I have heard of students tuning out on accepted students day, not much interested in the presentations because there is nowhere else to go in state that is anywhere near the quality of U of I? Why would they change their DEI programs?
Colleges in the south are huge draws at my local high school. I know quite a few parents who are having their kids apply to U of I but expect them to be rejected in favor of DEI or Chinese students. I’m looking at my local high school’s webpage, and the data is a little dated, and there’s a lot of U of Alabama, FL, IA, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, TN, Missouri, TX, VA, and quite a few headed off to private colleges in OH, MO, WI and MI. These are some of the best and brightest in the state, and… Read more »
I went to a college in Illinois, and I recently looked at some historical alumni’s notes. So few of them are still in Illinois, I’d say 80% of alumni are out of state, they never came back, and many of my friends whom I’ve lost touch with over the years now live in other states. Only one of my brother I roomed with during college still even lives in IL. The handful of other friends who remained her did so only because they had a significant other from IL and chose to stay here after getting married. It’s been a… Read more »
I did not go to college in Illinois, although I left as a result of athletic recruitment. Then again, my chief rivals in Illinois (an Olympian) and another great athlete both left the state, too. My family has deep roots in Illinois and I could live anywhere. Illinois just lacks the value proposition to move, which squares with your assessments. Many of my high school competitors – good athletes – went to Eastern, Southern, Illinois State and so on. They went for athletics and were frankly very good – often beating Univ of Illinois. Those days are over, and their… Read more »