The University of Texas at Austin has been compelled to lay off 60 employees who focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) due to the enactment of Senate Bill 17 earlier this year.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, following a caution from State Sen. Brandon Creighton regarding Texas universities’ obligations to adhere to the new law, the University of Texas has initiated a severe round of layoffs:
UT has not confirmed to the American-Statesman the number of staff positions that have been eliminated or how many employees will be laid off, but on Tuesday afternoon, a person with knowledge of the terminations said at least 60 people have lost their jobs, 40 of them in the Division of Campus and Community Engagement alone.
The layoffs are effective in 90 days or more, people familiar with the terminations told the Statesman. UT did not respond to a Statesman request for comment.
UT is also closing the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, previously known as the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.
President Jay Hartzell said in an email to the UT community on Tuesday afternoon, which was obtained by the Statesman, that