The University of South Carolina (USC) renamed its vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office Monday following Republican scrutiny of the university’s practices, according to The Post and Courier.
USC’s Julian Williams now leads the rebranded Vice President of Access, Civil Rights and Community Engagement office, according to the USC newsletter reported by the Post. USC’s rebranding of its DEI office comes after South Carolina Republican lawmakers requested documentation on funds spent by public universities on DEI in the state and Florida and Texas banned the use of public funds on such measures. (RELATED: California Lawsuit Alleges State-Enforced DEI In Public Community Colleges Is Unconstitutional)
COLUMBIA, SC – AUGUST 10: College students eat dinner at the Longstreet Theatre at the University of South Carolina on August 10, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
“His division will now align ongoing efforts to ensure access and opportunity to members of the campus community, compliance with federal civil rights and Title IX requirements, and foster partnerships with public and private sector entities to share university knowledge in support of local communities,” according to a USC newsletter reported by The Post.
USC’s DEI office holds events such as desegregation anniversaries and symposiums to deliver resources to first-generation students, and works with admissions to recruit minority and first-generation students, according to The Post.
Universities around the U.S. have been changing the language of their websites to skirt the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on race-based admissions. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s board voted in July to ban race-based hiring practices following the decision, according to the College Fix.
USC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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