UT Dallas Closes New Office, Lays Off Employees to Further Comply With Anti-DEI Law

• The university is closing its Office of Campus Resources and Support (OCRS) to comply with Texas' anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) legislation SB 17, which has been signed into law.
• OCRS is responsible for professional development opportunities, support services, scholarships, cultural celebrations, and high school outreach programs.
• Last month, SB 17 author Brandon Creighton sent a letter to colleges and universities warning they could lose funding if they did not comply and simply changed office and job titles.

At the end of the month, the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) will close an office that was created to replace its previous diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office. The move is being taken to comply with Texas' anti-DEI legislation Senate Bill 17 (SB 17), which has been signed into law.

UT Dallas President Richard Benson sent a letter April 9 announcing that the Office of Campus Resources and Support (OCRS) and about 20 associated jobs will end April 30.

"I know that this decision will not be welcomed by many in our campus community," Benson wrote. "I remain committed to ensuring that UT Dallas is a supportive community focused on developing the knowledge, the research, and the people that are vital to our future."

Texas enacted SB 17 on Jan. 1, 2024. It banned DEI offices, hiring preferences, enrollment training, and student benefits based on race or ethnicity. The bill's author, state Sen. Brandon Creighton, sent a letter to Texas colleges and universities on March 26 warning that the government may freeze funding to institutions that just rename offices and job titles.

"While I am encouraged with the progress I have seen from many institutions of higher education in implementing SB 17, I am deeply concerned with the possibility that many institutions may choose to merely rename their offices or employee titles," Creighton wrote.

"This letter should serve as notice that this practice is unacceptable — and also a reminder that SB 17 encompasses stringent enforcement provisions, including the potential freezing of university funding and legal ramifications for noncompliance ..."

UT Dallas created OCRS to replace its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) and comply with SB 17 on the day it went into effect. The office was meant to enhance student community-building and support employees and employee resource groups.

The university eliminated its Galerstein Gender Center and Multicultural Center. OCRS hosts three new centers, the Comet Culture Center, the Galerstein Community Center, and the STEM Outreach and Education Center.

OCRS is responsible for:

• Professional development opportunities
• Support services, including lactation rooms, menstrual resources, emergency funds, and a Life Transitions Closet
• Four scholarship programs, including one for students facing housing insecurity
• Outreach programs to high school students
• Cultural celebrations like the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast

Benson said the university will move a few functions to other administrative units. The AccessAbility Resource Center, which provides disability and accessibility resources, will move from OCRS to the Office of Academic Affairs for students. Disability and accessibility resources for employees will move to Human Resources.

Student workers will keep their jobs through the end of the semester, and laid-off employees are encouraged to apply for open positions. Benson encouraged hiring managers to "give these experienced and talented individuals careful review."

Last week, UT Austin laid off approximately 60 former DEI employees despite them not currently working DEI jobs. The university closed the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, a former DEI office.

"Our initial focus was to ensure we made the required changes by SB 17's January 1 effective date, but we knew that more work would be required to utilize our talent and resources most effectively in support of our teaching and research missions, and ultimately, our students," UT Austin President Jay Hartzell wrote to the community.

In January, UT Austin cut another DEI program to adhere to SB 17.

The Monarch program was dedicated to supporting undocumented students. It provided advising, mentoring, mental health support, financial workshops, and a scholarship to undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students and students with temporary status in the U.S.