The University of North Texas has eliminated three faculty senate committees and all faculty and employee resource groups to comply with Senate Bill 17, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael McPherson said in a message to faculty members Tuesday.
SB 17 is the state law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion departments, programs, initiatives and trainings at Texas’ public colleges and universities.
McPherson said UNT's resource groups were moved to the provost's Office of Faculty Success, and their "mission statements and charges were rewritten with the intent of complying with the new law."
The email continues: “In consultation with the Office of General Counsel and University Integrity and Compliance, upon review of these mission statements along with the new charges for the faculty senate committees, it has been determined that continuation of these groups creates ongoing issues with the university being in full compliance with the law.”
In an email earlier Tuesday, Coby Condrey, the chair of the UNT Faculty Senate, told faculty senators that administrators would abolish the Committee on the Status of Women Faculty, the Committee on the Status of Faculty of Color and the Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Faculty.
Condrey, who is a research support services librarian for the UNT Libraries, also mentioned that the faculty and employee resource groups were being eliminated.
The UNT Office of the Provost’s Faculty Success website defines faculty resource groups as “a group of faculty linked by a common background, purpose, ideology, or interest” and notes that they are open to all faculty members. The current faculty resource groups are listed as the Black Faculty Network, International Faculty Network, La Colectiva, LGBTQ+ Faculty Network, New Faculty Network, Professional Faculty Network and the Women & Gender Equity Network.
The provost's office website says employee resource groups are “voluntary, employee-led groups that foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with organizational mission, values, goals, business practices, and objectives.” Current groups include: Asian Pacific Islander Network, Black Professional Network, Neurodiversity Professional Network, ÚNeTe, UNT Christian Network, UNT Gender and Sexuality Employee Resource Group, and Community Building and Integrity Network.
McPherson’s message concludes by saying that the latest changes do not change UNT’s commitment to its people and mission.
“Our university is committed to providing a welcoming environment for our community, which reflects the population of Texas,” he wrote. “We continue to care for and support our faculty and staff as they work to serve all our students. We are proud to be an institution that supports all students, including our first-generation, low-income, and underserved students. We also are proud to be a welcoming community for all people.”
