Top University Forced To Drop “Diversity Statements” On Applications

The removal of Arizona public colleges’ “diversity” statement requirements on employment applications this week was hailed as a “huge win for academic freedom and the Constitution’s First Amendment” by the conservative Goldwater Institute.

According to research released in January by the Goldwater Institute, up to 80% of job postings for jobs at public colleges in Arizona required candidates to support efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The group discovered that about 28% of job listings at the University of Arizona, 73% at the Northern Arizona University, and 81% at Arizona State University requested diversity statements from candidates.

According to the study, some candidates had to provide DEI states rather than conventional cover letters. In such remarks, candidates were asked to elaborate on their activism, dedication to projects promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as their support of critical race theory.

“The Goldwater Institute’s research sounded the alarm, exposing the plans of campus DEI administrators to enforce these political litmus tests on each and every faculty job application submitted to Arizona’s public colleges.” A spokeswoman for the Goldwater Institute informed TheBlaze that “by exposing the quick and harmful spread of these diversity declarations, the Institute inspired free speech advocates within the university campus and worked to guarantee that this destructive practice was discontinued.”

The organization said that employers utilize the required DEI statements on employment applications as a “political litmus test” in order to “screen out inadequately progressive candidates,” so assuring that college campuses promote “intellectual along with political conformity in favor of leftwing ideologies.”

“Diversity statements serve not much more than mere political litmus tests, which actually erode intellectual diversity throughout higher education.” According to the Goldwater Institute spokeswoman, “their removal from Arizona’s public colleges will make sure that qualified applicants from all backgrounds will be encouraged to apply.”

The group’s study seems to have been successful in getting institutions in Arizona to drop the restrictions.

The public colleges of the state no longer need DEI declarations on employment applications, according to a statement made this week by the AZ Board of Regents.

The Arizona Republic was informed by a board spokeswoman that the state’s institutions “never” requested “DEI statements” from applicants. However, it was discovered that the phrases were required in a number of job postings made by the institutions.

Although some applications might continue to “request” a diversity statement, the board’s representative promised that the institutions are working to remove those demands.