UW and GOP reach deal to 'reimagine' DEI by restructuring jobs, freezing positions
In a deal months in the making, the University of Wisconsin System has agreed to "reimagine" its diversity efforts, restructuring dozens of staff into positions serving all students and freezing the total number of diversity positions for the next three years.
In exchange, universities would receive $800 million for employee pay raises and some building projects, including a new engineering building for UW-Madison.
"This is an evolution, and this is a change moving forward," UW System President Jay Rothman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But it does not in any way deviate from our core values of diversity (and) inclusion."
The compromise brokered with Republican legislative leaders caps a contentious six months of negotiations for the state university system over diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Campuses view DEI programs and staff as critical in supporting a broad range of students while conservatives cast the effort as wasteful and racially divisive.
The deal hinges on approval by the UW Board of Regents and the GOP-controlled Legislature. Some components of the agreement would require Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' approval as well. The Regents are scheduled to vote on the deal Saturday.
Political leaders weigh in
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Burlington, made the first move in May when he called for the elimination of all campus DEI positions. Over the summer, Republicans cut $32 million from the UW system budget and pulled the UW-Madison engineering building from its funding list. Vos raised the stakes again this fall when he withheld UW employee pay raises already approved by the Legislature.
“In recent years we’ve seen a growing emphasis on concepts that amplify ideas of division, exclusion and indoctrination on our campuses,” Vos said in a statement. “Our caucus objective has always been aimed at dismantling the bureaucracy and division related to DEI and reprioritizing our universities towards an emphasis on what matters — student success and achievement.”
Evers told WISN-TV that withholding UW pay raises was “B.S.” and “really obnoxious.” His spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, didn't comment on the deal itself. Evers has repeatedly called for increasing UW funding and characterized Republicans' actions as being "at war" with public universities.
Rothman said the negotiations were "arduous" and the end product was a compromise.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, was non-committal on the agreement, saying only that his caucus would deliberate. He laos said repurposing DEI staffers and restricting administrative growth will put more resources where they belong: in the classroom.
UW deal criticized by Democrats, campus communities
Criticism began trickling out even before details of the deal were officially announced Friday.
The Legislative Black Caucus blasted the agreement, saying UW was sacrificing DEI efforts for buildings.
"It sends a bad message, communicating that DEI has a price tag," said caucus chair Rep. Dora Drake, of Milwaukee. "How does this deal communicate to our students and faculty of color that they are supported on these campuses?"
UW-Oshkosh professor Vincent Filak said the deal "sold out" students and faculty of color for a couple buildings and modest raises. He said he would have gladly given up his pay increase in solidarity.
"I don’t think you should be held hostage by someone who unilaterally gets to decide what’s happening at a statewide level," he said, referring to Vos. "That feels like what's happened here."
UW-Madison senior MGR Govindarajan said students of color already felt fairly low on the priority list. The deal further disappointed him and others, especially how they weren't involved in the negotiation process.
Govindarajan had long imagined himself studying at UW Law School. Now he's second-guessing his plans.
"Is this really the type of place where I want to learn?" he asked.
What's in the deal for Republicans?
Alarmed by the growing administrative size of campuses, Republicans have sought to rein in UW system hiring.
Under the deal, from 2024 through 2026, the UW system would maintain its total number of positions. Campuses increasing in enrollment may hire more people so long as the number of jobs across the system holds steady.
The position cap does not apply to faculty or staff who directly support students or research.
The UW system would also restructure one-third of its 130 DEI positions to jobs supporting success of all students. Rothman said none of the 43 people whose positions will be restructured would lose their jobs.
Uniqua Adams credits the UW-Parkside multicultural office for helping her earn a bachelor's degree. Now a UW-Milwaukee graduate student, she fears the restructured employee positions won't be as focused on supporting students of color if they are supporting all students.
"This doesn't make sense to me," she said.
Also in the deal is UW-Madison ending its "Target of Opportunity" program at the end of the 2023-24 school year. The programs have been used in higher education for decades primarily as a way to diversify faculty ranks. The university would instead launch a different hiring program for faculty who have demonstrated their ability to work with underrepresented students.
Republicans also get conservative faculty position, admissions changes
GOP lawmakers also believe there are too many progressive professors on campus promoting liberal views. Under the deal, the UW system would develop a mandatory online orientation on free speech for incoming students.
In addition, UW-Madison would seek donor gifts to fund a faculty position focused on conservative political thought, classical economic theory or classical liberalism.
Another long-held Republican request has been for more transparency in the admissions process. UW system would remove diversity statements from the student application process.
UW-Madison would also agree to guarantee admission to the top 5% of Wisconsin high school students. Other UW campuses would have to accept the top 10% of in-state students.
What's in the deal for UW?
The deal would infuse universities with cash for capital projects and pay raises for employees.
The Legislature already approved the pay raises but a committee Vos co-chairs declined to sign off. The deal calls for the committee by Dec. 31 to approve a 4% raise in 2023 and a 2% raise in 2024 for most UW employees.
The $32 million Republicans cut from the UW budget earlier this year would be released back to campuses to spend on nursing, engineering and other workforce needs.
The deal also calls for changing how the money from Wisconsin's tuition reciprocity agreement with Minnesota is managed. Currently, the difference between what a Minnesota student pays to attend a UW system school and the Wisconsin in-state tuition rate is funneled into the state’s general fund. Universities would keep the money under the new terms, which would add roughly $11 million to campus coffers based on 2020 enrollment data.
UW-Madison gets its engineering building, dorm renovations
On the construction front, UW-Madison would receive approval to renovate three dorms and nearly $200 million in state money for a new engineering building.
The $347 million project was the top priority across the UW system. The GOP decision to block it baffled the business community because the building would allow the College of Engineering to expand its capacity from 6,350 students to 7,500 students. About 8,550 students applied last year for one of 1,200 spots in the freshman class.
UW-Whitewater would receive $78 million to renovate two academic buildings, a request Rothman said was made by Vos, who is an alumnus of the university.
The UW system would also receive $45 million in one-time money to demolish some aging facilities.
"No one is going to look at this agreement and love every piece of it," UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said. "But I do think this approach to bridging a divide makes sense. This compromise allows us to hold on to our core values, and that includes our commitment to diversity."
Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KellyMeyerhofer.