NC Republicans banished diversity, equity and inclusion. Now the only perspective that matters to them is their own | Opinion

North Carolina’s Republican lawmakers couldn’t get around to passing a state budget before breaking for the summer.

They did, however, make sure not to leave without passing three bills that collectively ban policies in public schools, universities and state government that support diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI.

Perhaps Gov. Josh Stein will use his veto to support the noble idea of fostering the advancement of minorities, the poor and the disabled. But it may not matter. Leaders of public schools, universities and state agencies have heard so much complaining by Republicans that DEI is discriminatory that they’ve largely abandoned the idea on their own.

The irony is that as Republicans banish what they see as the imposition of “woke” ideology, they’re imposing their own rigid and often contradictory approach to who gets into schools, who gets hired, who gets promoted and what can be said.

Consider the events of last week. As the General Assembly terminated DEI, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was announcing that Florida’s public universities are partnering with five other state university systems to create a new accreditor known as the Commission for Public Higher Education. Joining Florida are the University of North Carolina System, the Texas A&M University System, the University System of Georgia, the University of South Carolina and the University of Tennessee System.

Independent accrediting agencies have been around for more than a century. They review the standards and performance of colleges and universities and their approval is essential for schools to qualify for federal financial aid. But some Republican lawmakers and their UNC appointees have found accreditors to be meddlesome, with their reminders that faculty should have a say in setting the curriculum and the importance of academic freedom.

Republicans who claim they want to create more political diversity on campus are cutting ties with accreditors because they don’t want to be restrained in deciding who gets admitted, what gets taught and who gets tenure.

One higher education observer said that universities breaking from established accrediting agencies is akin to restaurants turning away government food inspectors. Watch out for what will be served afterward.

That the University of North Carolina System is joining this revolt is discouraging. Once, it was a source of pride that the University of North Carolina took a higher path than other southern states. Now it’s joining DeSantis on the low road of curtailing academic freedom and replacing an honest account of the U.S. past and present with denial and jingoism.

Belle Boggs, president of the North Carolina chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said UNC’s switch to a friendlier accreditor is a move toward ideology, not away from it.

“Joining any higher education endeavor announced by Ron DeSantis is very concerning for faculty in North Carolina’s public university system, and certainly calls into question President [Peter] Hans’ notion that it will be ‘non-ideological,’ “ she said. “Creating a whole new accreditation system is an unnecessary, apparently politically motivated move that won’t make the best faculty want to teach here, which will hurt North Carolina’s students and economy.”

The University of North Carolina’s accreditor is the the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Lawmakers and UNC-Chapel Hill trustees became annoyed with the agency when its leader questioned the trustees’ push to create the School of Civic Life and Leadership without consulting the faculty.

The new school – directly funded by the state legislature – is part of a national push to create academic centers that cater to conservative faculty and students in public universities. It’s odd that after years of conservatives mocking liberal students as “snowflakes” who needed safe spaces to learn, they are now doing the same for conservative students and professors.

What conservatives want from universities is inconsistent but clear. They’re doing what they say DEI advocates did – imposing their view of the world – and they don’t want to hear otherwise..