Under the Texas law, signed by Abbott on Wednesday, any public
college or university that does not certify it is in compliance
with the measure would not be able to spend state funds
allocated to it.
It also mandates that state officials every two years through
2029 conduct studies to gauge the impact of the law on students
broken down by race. It will look at the rates of application,
acceptance, matriculations, retention and graduation, along with
grade point averages. The law does not explain the reasoning for
conducting these studies.
The law is the latest salvo from Texas' Republican lawmakers and
Abbott, also is a Republican, and comes as critics assail
diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts as divisive or
anti-white, while proponents say they can help people from
different backgrounds learn to work together.
"Texas is leading the nation and ensuring our campuses return to
focusing on the strength of diversity and promoting a
merit-based approach where individuals are judged on their
qualifications, skills, and contributions," state Senator
Brandon Creighton, a Republican who was one of the bill's
authors, said in a statement.
But Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National
Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, said in a
statement that the bill's signature marked a "sad occasion for
all students at Texas' public universities."
"By dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and
offices at these institutions, Texas lawmakers have chosen to
prioritize a political agenda instead of the success of these
students," Russell wrote.
She said all students, regardless of race, benefit from having a
diverse student body, and that her organization would not stop
working for Texas universities to be increasingly accessible and
inclusive.
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; editing by Donna
Bryson and Leslie Adler)
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