WILMINGTON, N.C. — In May, the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors adopted a policy change requiring all schools to remain neutral in political and social issues.
To comply with the revised policy, universities across the system have had to make changes — including the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which closed its Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion just weeks before the start of the new school year.
Before Christine Reed Davis was the vice chancellor for student affairs at UNCW, she was also a first-generation college student — something she says shaped the course of her career and ultimately brought her to UNCW.
“Going into college, I knew nothing about the experience, and that really shaped my desire to work in higher education to make that experience for all of our students as supportive as possible,” Reed Davis said. “I felt that sense of care and connection and support in this community when I interviewed and I was just really excited to be a part of that and move that forward for all our Seahawks.”
Now, some students fear that sense of connection and support is being threatened. The UNC System’s new equality policy says all universities in the system will have to strive toward institutional neutrality.
“Institutional neutrality means that an institution cannot stand on one point of view or one political or social issue of the day standpoint,” Reed Davis said. “So the institution cannot take a stance on political or legislative matters.”
Part of this process includes dismantling diversity, equality and inclusion programs. To comply with the new policy, UNCW closed its diversity office. Students in UNCW’s Black Student Union protested this policy change ahead of the May decision, fearing this exact situation.
Reed Davis says that it is a complex situation and that the university made the right decision.
“It is not an option to not comply with the policy,” Reed Davis said. “So we are doing our best in the information that we’ve been provided for us to make those changes in the best way possible to support our community.”
Reed Davis says the university is doing everything it can to support students’ needs. Despite the office closing, campus cultural centers remain open. This includes:
- The Upperman African American Cultural Center
- The Asian Heritage Cultural Center
- Centro Hispano
- Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA+ Resource Center
These centers will now operate under Student Affairs rather than the diversity office.
“There’s a great synergy between those identity centers and student affairs, and the work that we’ve done in partnership for many years will now be done under one umbrella,” Reed Davis said. “To support our students, to provide resources and guidance, and give them all the tools they need to thrive and be successful at the university.”
It’s a change that affects not only students, but staff as well. All chief diversity officer positions have been eliminated and other staff members have had to be assigned to different roles. Reed Davis says UNCW made no layoffs.
All universities in the UNC system will have to be in full compliance with this policy change by Sept. 1.
UNC Charlotte has closed three offices: Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion; Office of Identity, Equality and Engagement; and the Office of Academic Diversity and Inclusion.
Reed Davis says at UNCW, they’re hoping they’ve made all the necessary changes to be in compliance, but their plan will be reviewed and further changes will be made as needed.
DEI offices have also been dismantled in Texas and Florida.
The UNCW Black Student Union and the New Hanover County chapter of the NAACP could not be reached immediately to comment.