It’s not just football that the University of Michigan has made a name for itself in—the school is also one of the top in the nation for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
According to a report from The College Fix, the University has at least 241 paid employees that work on DEI, costing the school upwards of $30 million a year—$23.24 million of which goes toward salaries, while $7.44 million is in benefits.
That amount could cover the cost of in-state tuition and fees for 1,781 undergrads, according to the analysis.
Shockingly, including benefits, 66 bring in salaries of more than $100,000, 13 DEI staffers rake in over $200,000, and the University’s chief diversity administrator earns slightly more than the president of the United States at a whopping $402,800.
As part of UM’s ambitious five-year Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) 2.0 Plan, the university’s 19 academic schools and colleges and its 32 non-academic units must now also implement DEI plans. Non-academic units include the school’s three libraries, art museum, botanical gardens, IT department, athletics, development, audit services and more.[...]
“[Economist Mark Perry, who conducted the analysis] said the full number of DEI positions likely exceeds 500 when taking into account: full-time or part-time DEI staffers at 241; employees who serve as DEI Unit Leads at 76; DEI positions currently open or unassigned, roughly 130; and employees serving on dozens of DEI committees in various departments, schools, colleges, and units at 150 or more. […]
The 2023-24 totals are a huge increase from last year’s figures, which came in at 142 DEI employees at a payroll cost of $18 million annually, a spike that can in part be traced to UM’s recent and sweeping five-year Diversity 2.0 Plan, which “outlines UM’s diverse, inclusive future” over the next five years from 2023 to 2028. (The College Fix)
“UM has become a DEI ideological complex with a university attached,” Perry said.
The University of Michigan pushed back on the analysis, calling DEI "core values" at the school.
“Most employees working on DEI are not solely dedicated to DEI efforts but do so in addition to their other roles and responsibilities," Colleen Mastony, a spokeswoman for the university, told The College Fix. “…The university’s DEI efforts are appropriate to the size, scope, and complexity of our university – spanning the university, including 51 units over our three campuses, our academic medical center, and our over 100,000 students and employees. Although some work is done centrally, much of it is done at the unit and department level."