Cutting UNC's DEI funding could impact some programs at the 17 universities

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- It remains unclear what all will be lost when the University of North Carolina has its DEI initiatives defunded.

Editor's Note: ABC11 previously reported that UNC Chapel Hill's Carolina Covenant and C-Step received funding through the UNC DEI budget. UNC has clarified that those programs are financial aid programs and will not be impacted by the Board of Governors' vote to repeal DEI at its 17 campuses.

"Financial aid programs like the Carolina Covenant Program, will not be affected by any changes to DEI budgets. These aid programs are based on students' incomes and assets and come from federal, state and university funds, not DEI funding," a UNC spokesperson said.

Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts spoke at Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting, expressing concern for some long-standing and extremely successful programs at UNC.

"I kept thinking back to these students -- first in her family to graduate from college and how remarkable of an achievement it is to celebrate," Roberts said, reflecting on students who just graduated thanks to the Carolina Covenant program.

That's a program that provides full academic scholarships to students whose family's income falls at or below 200 percent of the poverty line.

Carolina Covenant is one of many programs that receive funding from UNC's DEI budget.

Another program is the C-STEP. It's for low-income transfer students interested in STEM fields of study. That program partners with 14 North Carolina community colleges, mostly in rural counties. Of the students who participate in the C-STEP, 82 percent graduate with a 3.0 GPA or better.

On Monday, the UNC Board of Trustees voted to move forward with reallocating $2.3 million worth of money earmarked for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts into the coffers of law enforcement and public safety.

Moments before the board took that vote, newly sworn-in Student Body President Jaleah Taylor spoke to the board expressing her support of the DEI programs and questioning why the board was voting without hearing opposing views.

"Considering that implementation lies with the Chancellor's discretion, would it not be advisable for us to wait for further guidance before considering adjustments to the budget?"

That question was met with a long silence, and then the board pushed ahead to vote on the measure without answering or even addressing Taylor's question.

Ralph Meekins has been on the UNC BOT for 5 years. In that time, he has been a champion of DEI efforts. He was late for Monday's meeting, missing the vote entirely.

"I've seen the benefits of what our program has done on our campus," Meekins said. "My biggest problem is the Board of Governors hadn't even made their policies yet and hadn't articulated the guidelines. My thing is let's wait and see. We don't need to jump on this. Let's wait and see what they're going to do."

Roberts said Thursday that since the UNC BOT vote Monday he has heard from a variety of people with concerns about the vote.

"We have a profound duty to reflect the state. That's been our obligation since our first academic year 229 years ago, and we can't just reflect on paper. We need to make sure that that everyone who comes here feels welcome here," Roberts said.

The board's budget decision, which was finalized Monday with its vote to eliminate the DEI funding, will be sent to the UNC System Board of Governors, which meets May 23 to give final approval for that budget along with the other 16 schools in the UNC System.

Meekins released the following statement about the UNC BOT vote:

On Monday, May 13, 2024, UNC's Board of Trustees convened to discuss the approval or disapproval of the All Funds Budget. Spearheaded by our CFO, Nate Kauffman, the proposed budget was meticulously crafted by the Administration. Board members, alongside numerous collaborators, invested extensive hours with the Administration to refine the budget's intricacies. Subsequently, the finalized proposal was presented to the Board of Trustees for their deliberation and vote. Instead of having an up or down vote, a motion was presented to remove $2.3 million established for DEI programs and reallocate those savings to resources for public safety. This motion was the first I had heard of such a drastic change to the budget.

Regrettably, I missed the majority of the budget meeting. At the time of the vote, I felt uneasy about making a decision without having been present for much of the initial discussion. As a result, I chose not to cast my vote either in favor of or against the motion to defund DEI. I have since thoroughly reviewed the recording of the proceedings and after considering the matter thoroughly, I am totally against the changes to the budget proposed on May 13th. I have several reasons for my beliefs regarding this decision.

First: I do not believe it is appropriate of our board to take the actions it took on Monday.

Second: As I articulated in our last meeting on March 27th, I believe our Board should refrain from changing our DEI programs until the Board of Governors adopts the new policy and promulgates the guidelines for implementation - which it has not yet done.

Third: If the BOG's committees recommendations on DEI are adopted by the full Board of Governors the directive will be to redirect any savings from cuts to DEI to student success and well being initiatives. Therefore, the Board of Trustees' decision to reallocate savings to "public safety" will be in direct conflict with the potential directive from the BOG. As much as I agree with our Board that we need adequate funding for public safety, we must be consistent with the policy of the Board of Governors. The proposed BOG policy does not require the complete elimination of DEI programs but calls for changes to be determined by the chancellor.

Fourth: As a result of the actions of the Board on May 13th, DEI funding was withdrawn without hearing from proponents of DEI who are most aware of all that DEI encompasses and all of the benefits that are offered to our student body and faculty when implemented effectively. UNC's DEI programs oversee a wide range of activities that are necessary to our campus.

Fifth: While many would agree that some DEI efforts have become problematic and excessive, the fundamental principles of DEI and the ongoing need for development and support for the core of DEI principles are still key to the success of our campus. The BOT's directive to do away with DEI entirely goes too far and beyond what the BOG is likely going to require.

Finally, this recent action, coupled with other policy changes and resolutions made by this Board, sends the wrong message to our students, prospective students and alumni regarding how UNC values and treats diverse populations on our campus.

Fortunately, in spite of the actions this board has taken, the issue of how UNC Chapel Hill handles its efforts on diversity will ultimately be determined by our interim Chancellor. I trust that he will await clarification from the BOG regarding its DEI policy and will adhere to its directives while thoroughly examining the matter, listening to all perspectives, and ultimately making an informed decision. It's undoubtedly a challenging task, but I pray he approaches the changes to our DEI program with precision, using a scalpel, not a machete. Given his track record so far, I am optimistic that this will indeed be the approach that he takes.