The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents has adopted a swath of changes to fight back against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology and to strengthen academic integrity across its campuses.
Steve McGuire, Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, reported on the changes on X on Saturday, sharing pictures of the changed policies.
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“All admissions processes and decisions shall be free of ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths, including diversity statements. No applicant for admission shall be asked to or required to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about political beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles, as a condition for admission,” the new regulations read.
The revisions also clarify that the university cannot discriminate in order to push anyone to “support . . . or [oppose] . . . any political campaign or candidate for political office, political party, or political organization.”
The Board of Regents also determined that the University of Georgia should adopt a more meritocratic hiring policy, only accepting applicants because of their “knowledge, skills, and abilities” instead of on the basis of any DEI principles. Faculty already on the school’s payroll will be “evaluated based on the merits of their performance and qualifications,” such as their research and teaching ability.
The new changes also require student orientations to adopt the school’s “free expression policies and procedures” and training to promote “civil discourse, open inquiry, robust debate, intellectual diversity, and respect for others.” The revisions will liberate university trainings for both “students and employees” from DEI limitations and other “ideological tests.”
Although the university’s individual employees are “encouraged to exercise their First Amendment rights,” the University of Georgia will no longer be allowed to comment as an institution on potentially controversial issues, with the new policy stating: “USG institutions shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission.”
The document also clarifies that employees cannot use “USG or other public resources” to support “political activities.”
Finally, students who start attending the University of Georgia in 2025 and onwards will need to become familiar with American founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, as well as other historical texts such as the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation.
Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Georgia’s Board of Regents for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
