A week after state Sen. Brandon Creighton warned Texas university system administrators about the state’s expectations for higher education institutions to comply with Senate Bill 17 — an anti-DEI law that went into effect in January — the University of Texas has laid off at least 60 staff members who previously worked in diversity, equity and inclusion-related positions, according to three people with knowledge of the terminations.
UT has not confirmed to the American-Statesman the number of staff positions that have been eliminated or how many employees will be laid off, but on Tuesday afternoon, a person with knowledge of the terminations said at least 60 people have lost their jobs, 40 of them in the Division of Campus and Community Engagement alone. The layoffs are effective in 90 days or more, people familiar with the terminations told the Statesman. UT did not respond to a Statesman request for comment.
UT is also closing the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, previously known as the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. President Jay Hartzell said in an email to the UT community on Tuesday afternoon, which was obtained by the Statesman, that though the school made changes before Jan. 1 to comply with SB 17, “we knew that more work would be required to utilize our talent and resources most effectively in support of our teaching and research missions, and ultimately, our students.”