Despite recent backlash to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, a University of North Texas initiative appears to creatively skirt state laws intended to curb them.
UNT’s “Hispanic Serving Institution Initiative” is designed to comply with a federal program for higher education institutions with “enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students.”
The initiative falls under Provost Michael McPherson’s office.
As part of a commitment “to serving underrepresented and underserved communities,” UNT partners with several organizations founded on racial or ethnic identity.
One group, Latinas in Progress, is a partnership between UNT and the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas. The partnership promotes college tours for Hispanic women that are unavailable to non-Hispanic students.
The initiative also promotes a “Latina/o and Mexican American Studies” degree program, which is described as “a student-centered, stimulating and innovative environment to advance and support the teaching, research and advocacy of LMAS knowledge at the University of North Texas.”
This degree program offers a major and a class that uses the widely criticized manufactured term “Latinx” in its titles.
The “Latinx and Latin American Studies” major requires a course in “Latinx literature” and offers electives in subjects such as “Introduction to Race and Ethnic Relations,” “Race, Gender, and the Media,” and “Race, Class, Gender, and Ethnicity.”
The UNT Latinx Alumni Network promotes “recruiting and mentoring” for “Latinx” students and describes itself as “a culturally based affinity network.” It was formally recognized by the alumni association in 2021.
Since 2020, the proliferation of DEI ideology in higher education has triggered a public backlash. State lawmakers have taken action to hold higher education more accountable, starting with a DEI ban (Senate Bill 17) in 2023.
Texas Scorecard asked Sherry Sylvester of the Texas Public Policy Foundation if these findings at UNT violate that ban.
“While there appear to be no violations of SB 17 here, these ethnically exclusive organizations are vestiges of the divisive DEI ideology that continues to permeate too many aspects of university life—complete with the politically correct term ‘Latinx’ which polls show is detested by Hispanic people,” replied Sylvester.
“Open inquiry and debate, freedom of speech and diversity of thought make Texas campuses stronger—dividing students by race, ethnicity and gender creates nothing but discord,” she added.
The University of North Texas did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
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