The UNC System Board of Governors approved changes last week to the mission statements of two universities, removing references of diversity. According to The Charlotte Observer, this follows the Board’s decision in May to repeal system-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates, replacing them with a policy of “institutional neutrality” that bars campuses from taking positions on political or social issues. While the change affects both UNC Charlotte and UNC Wilmington, only one university has linked the modification to the DEI repeal. The new mission statements for both schools were approved during a Board meeting on Thursday, with no discussion. A committee had earlier approved the revisions in a Nov. 7 virtual meeting. The updated UNC Charlotte mission statement no longer describes the university as “diverse and inclusive,” while UNC Wilmington’s statement no longer highlights “diversity” as a key value of its culture.
