The Board Of Governors will vote on whether to repeal current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies throughout the University of North Carolina System next month, after the University Governance committee approved the policy last Wednesday.
The new policy outlines a “commitment to institutional neutrality,” which would ban trainings and positions based on “political controversies of the day,” and spreading “prescribed ‘[views] of social policy.’”
Students discussed their concerns about these policy changes at a meeting with student group TransparUNCy on Tuesday night. The group, which focuses on teaching students about the UNC system’s administrative decisions, also discussed their concerns about feeling heard during the Chancellor Search Committee listening sessions at the University Of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Toby Posel, one of the group’s leaders, said he was particularly concerned after only two of the Committee’s 13 members physically attended the undergraduate listening session on April 1st.
“Why would no one from the Search Advisory Committee come to this forum if they actually care what students have to say?” Posel asked.
Committee chair Cristy Page said the need to get feedback as early as possible left most of the Committee unable to attend.
“We scheduled those initial listening sessions based on the calendar of the students and the staff and people who already had their meeting scheduled. And we tried to do them really quickly because people are eager to engage,” she said.
Posel said that wasn’t an excuse.
“I know these people are all busy. I know they have busy schedules, I know they’re operating under time constraints. But if you cared, you would show up to that space,” he said.
Page said students were welcome to come to any of the Committee’s open meetings where members will review feedback from listening sessions. She also said students should fill out the survey asking what they hope to see in the next chancellor before the form closes on may 10th.