GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida announced on Friday the elimination of its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion positions and DEI-related contracts, according to a memo from the school.
UF administration released a memo announcing the closure of the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, the elimination of DEI positions and administrative appointments and the halting of DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors.
Thirteen full-time positions were terminated, the memo says.
Those terminated as a result will receive UF’s standard twelve weeks of pay and have the chance to re-apply to the university until April 19.
According to UF, $5 million in funds will also be reallocated into recruitment efforts to be administered by the Office of the Provost.
This comes after Florida’s Board of Education announced a rule banning public colleges from using federal funds towards DEI programs, activities, and policies.
The rule defines DEI as “any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.”