The University of Tennessee (UT) System is reportedly rebranding its Division of Diversity and Engagement in order to “better reflect the division’s mission, as well as move away from some potentially divisive terminology,” according to The Daily Beacon.
The division’s mission, according to its website, is to “actively support, foster and enhance environments of inclusion where the diversity of all faculty, staff, and students are connected to fully engage in fair, respectful, and equitable campus experiences throughout the University of Tennessee community.”
The Beacon, the student newspaper of UT, reports that the university’s Division of Diversity and Engagement will soon be renamed as the “Division of Access and Engagement.”
With the name change, according to the outlet, UT hopes to “move towards prioritizing blanket access to higher education across the state.”
However, Guy Harrison, the newly-appointed director of DEI for the School of Journalism and Media, said the move is “an effort to detract attention from state politicians who have begun to take issue with discussions of diversity in recent years.”
“We are in a very ultra-conservative state, and there are political actors who would completely do away with DEI, whether it’s the title or the work that we do,” Harrison said, according to the outlet. “And this kind of protects us from them a little bit. But I wish it wasn’t necessary … we shouldn’t need to whitewash the word diversity out of things, just not to alarm certain people.”
The name change came after the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law (SB2290/HB2670) last year prohibiting universities from mandating training related to “divisive concepts,” as designed by the legislation. The law further restricts state funds from being used to provide faculty with incentives to include divisive concepts in the curriculum.
Despite the division’s rebranding, UT provided a statement to The Beacon confirming its commitment to the university’s Board of Trustees’ Diversity Statement.
UT’s Diversity Statement, as provided on the university’s website, states:
One of the principal missions of The University of Tennessee is to provide quality educational opportunities for the people of this state. One measure of the quality of an educational experience is the extent to which it enables the recipient to compete and be productive in society and contribute to the quality of life. The Board of Trustees recognizes that diversity in the educational environment, including an outstanding and diverse student body, faculty, staff, and alumni, and an environment conducive to learning, adds value to the educational experience and the degree earned. Interacting with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives augments the curricular experience and affords every student the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be a productive and contributing citizen of this state and nation, capable of competing in a global society. Thus, diversity is fundamental to a sound twenty-first century education.
The Board affirms the educational value of a diverse and fully inclusive campus community, one that is enriched by persons of different backgrounds, points of view, cultures, socioeconomic status, and other diverse characteristics. The Board expects the University to engage in a variety of initiatives to advance diversity in all aspects of University life.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “University of Tennessee Students” by University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
