University of California Ends Use of Diversity Statements in Hiring Faculty

The University of California announced late on Wednesday that they would be ending the requirement that diversity statements be used in hiring, becoming the latest move away from diversity-based hiring and applying measures at the UC system.

According to a letter by UC provost Katherine Newman, the UC Board of regents directed UC President Michael Drake to end diversity statements. Diversity statements, which are usually around two pages added into an application that outlines an applicants experience in working with people from different backgrounds and how they would advance diversity and inclusivity, have been around for several years within the UC system. Despite this, Newman wrote that the University of California can still be diverse without the use of such statements.

“The system’s board of regents has directed UC President Michael Drake to ensure that diversity statements are no longer required” for new applicants,” said Newman on Wednesday. “The requirement to submit a diversity statement may lead applicants to focus on an aspect of their candidacy that is outside their expertise or prior experience. UC can continue to effectively serve communities from a variety of life experiences, backgrounds, and points of view without requiring diversity statements.”

While the letter did not mention a more specific reason for the change, it was widely seen as a move in response to the Trump Administration’s recent measures over academia. In an announcement on budget cuts on Wednesday, UC President Drake specifically noted Trump administration actions for the growing number of changes at UC, as well as for the UC system instituting hiring freezes and other cost cutting measures because of less funding being available.

“Over the last few months, the new administration in Washington, D.C., has announced a number of executive orders and proposed policy changes, including ones that threaten funding for lifesaving research, patient care, and education support,” said Drake on Wednesday. “These actions affect colleges and universities across the country. Additionally, the 2025-26 California state budget calls for a substantial cut to the University’s budget. As one of the most innovative, research-focused public institutions in the nation, these proposed changes would have a particularly profound impact on the University of California.”

Drake also noted at an emergency meeting with the UC Academic Council earlier this week that changes needed to be made and that “UC needed to show signs it was listening to the Trump administration”.

That move needed to be done sooner or later, as the Trump administration outright halted $400 million in funding and grants to Columbia University for failing to protect Jewish students earlier this month. As the U.S. Department of Education announced last month that it would be working to end racial preferences in admissions, hiring, promotions, and other areas in Universities, ending the use of diversity statements has been seen as a way of complying so that action isn’t taken against them similar to what happened at Columbia.

Ways around diversity statements

The end of diversity statements in UC hiring was only the latest in a series of orders and rulings pushing back on diversity hiring and admissions measures. This includes the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard College U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action on colleges nationwide, as well as Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto last year of a bill that would have allowed public universities and colleges to hire illegal immigrants.

However, experts told the Globe on Thursday that diversity statements were never used as the only diversity factor in hiring, and that there are many other ways around it to still get a diverse pool of candidates and applicants. This includes going through different recruitment strategies and state legislation, including a current bill in the Assembly that would give admission priority to the descendants of slaves at the University of California and California State University.

“They have been controversial for a while. What I like about them is that they ask scholars to talk about how they support, include, and empower students and how their research either helps, speaks to, or reflects the broadly defined diversity in the nation and world. Anyone can do work that addresses issues of diversity,” explained Rutgers University Graduate School of Education Professor Marybeth Gasman to the Globe on Thursday.

“They will become problematic if diversity is narrowly defined or if the diversity statement is used as the primary data source for hiring decision-making. I have conducted research, consulted, and led workshops nationwide and have never seen an institution use these statements as the only factor in hiring. They inform the process and ensure potential faculty care about inclusive teaching that empowers students. Also, the majority of institutions define diversity broadly.

“I would like to see universities stand firm in supporting diversity and inclusion and be champions of equity. It’s difficult to stand up in the face of the type of bullying they are experiencing, but it is essential to hold true to your values. Hopefully, the UCs will find other ways to ensure that they offer students a diverse faculty that cares about their learning process and the complexities and plurality of society.”

“While the use of diversity statements is a tool that may attract a diverse pool and be used in faculty searches to assess candidates readiness for a position, it is not the sole method or approach for engaging in outreach to recruit a diverse pool of candidates to fill faculty positions,” added National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADHOE) President Paulette Granberry Russell to the Globe. “More specifically, increasing the structure of the faculty search process can produce significant benefits, including increasing diversity in the applicant pool through recruitment strategies that attract diverse applicants, focusing those making decisions on job relevant information and approved criteria for evaluating applicants that can reduce subjectivity and bias in decision making, candidates want to feel welcomed and valued, and this has significant influence on candidates’ willingness to accept a job offer. While there are faculty positions, in fields where diversity based on race or gender has historically been low, particularly in STEM related fields, there are fields where you will be able to generate a highly diverse pool by proactively taking steps to generate a diverse applicant pool.”

In short, while the end of diversity statements was given as a concession, there are still many different ways for UC to still hire based around diversity.