The University of Michigan will no longer solicit diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion and tenure.

The decision by Provost Laurie McCauley follows an Oct. 31 recommendation by an eight-member faculty working group to end the use of the statements, which have been criticized for their potential to limit freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are three of our core values at the university. Our collective efforts in this area have produced important strides in opening opportunities for all people,” McCauley said. “As we pursue this challenging and complex work, we will continuously refine our approach.”

“I’m grateful for this faculty committee, which spent months soliciting feedback from across campus, evaluating our methods and determining the best course forward.”

The university has not had an institutionwide policy on diversity statements. Accordingly, the Provost’s Office did not require units to solicit statements as part of hiring and promotion decisions, though units did have the discretion to do so. The approach reflected the decentralized and heterogeneous culture of the university.

In June, McCauley charged a faculty working group, made up of individuals with relevant expertise, to explore the use of diversity statements in faculty hiring and promotion at U-M and elsewhere, and to make a recommendation.

The group reviewed published literature, considered policies at peer institutions and issued a faculty survey that received nearly 2,000 responses.

Most responding faculty agreed that diversity statements put pressure on faculty to express specific positions on moral, political or social issues. Slightly more disagreed than agreed that diversity statements allow an institution to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by cultivating DEI in the faculty.  

“Critics of diversity statements perceive them as expressions of personal identity traits, support of specific ideology or opinions on socially-relevant issues, and serve as a ‘litmus test’ of whether a faculty member’s views are politically acceptable,” the working group wrote in its report. “Thus, as currently enacted, diversity statements have the potential to limit viewpoints and reduce diversity of thought among faculty members.”

The group also noted that diversity statements can be well-written and useful in evaluating the ability of applicants and faculty to contribute to the mission of the university.

Although the university did not enact the working group’s two other recommendations — to incorporate content about DEI into teaching, research and service statements, and to bolster training on how best to write and evaluate such content — the Provost’s Office will continue to work with campus leaders and faculty to identify ways to help foster a welcoming and inclusive environment in classrooms, labs and performance spaces.