UW-Madison Closes DEI Division
The university is not ending any scholarships, support programs for minority students.
A display for 2025 UW-Madison students sits on Bascom Hill on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
The controversial Division of Diversity, Equity and Education Achievement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is closing, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin announced this week.
But a majority of the programs and staff members in the division will be moved to other departments at the university.
“Diversity of all kinds, including diversity of viewpoint and diversity of identity and background, remains a core value of our university,” Mnookin said in a statement. “We must create the conditions here, including through programs and support services, that allow all of our students, faculty and staff to flourish and to reach their full potential.”
Mnookin said employee support will be relocated to the Office of Human Resources and staff members focusing on institutional data collection will join Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research.
UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas said about 100 employees worked in the DEI division. “Fewer than 10” employees in administrative support, event support and communications received a layoff notice Wednesday.
UW-Madison is not eliminating any scholarships or support programs for minority students, Lucas said.
DEI, short for diversity, equity and inclusion, programs at universities have been under fire for months from Republican leaders in the state Legislature and the Trump administration, which has alleged racial discrimination at UW-Madison.
In April, Republican-ordered audits found that Wisconsin state agencies and the Universities of Wisconsin have failed to track the millions of dollars they spent on DEI efforts, making it difficult to fully assess the initiatives.
Auditors estimated, though, that the UW system spent about $40 million on offices with duties connected to DEI.
UW-Madison spent the most on DEI in fiscal year 2023-24 with a total of about $21.8 million.
In January, LaVar Charleston, who led the Division of Diversity, Equity and Education Achievement, was removed from his post.
University officials said Charleston made poor financial decisions while leading the department, including approving substantial raises and authorizing what they deemed to be excessive spending on travel.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who pledged to end diversity efforts in state government, released a statement saying he was, “Glad to see the UW System finally getting rid of this awful waste of taxpayer dollars.”
“We need less indoctrination and more effort to provide students with usable skills and knowledge to help them get a good-paying job,” Vos said.
State Rep. Jerry O’Connor, R-Fond du Lac, who is a member of the Colleges and Universities Committee, released a statement applauding Mnookin’s announcement, but adding that he remains skeptical.
“Chancellor Mnookin’s announcement included a promise that current positions will be mostly moved to other departments,” O’Connor said. “So, while I am happy to see DDEEA sunsetted, I am concerned that the discriminatory work of DEI will continue under a different name in other departments.”
UW-Madison closes DEI division, moves programs to other departments was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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