Idaho ed board bans diversity statements

The Idaho State Board of Education on Tuesday voted to prohibit universities from requiring diversity statements when hiring employees.

The board made its decision without discussion during a regular meeting at the University of Idaho.

The decision applies to policies that require candidates to write diversity statements when they apply to Idaho’s four-year institutions.

According to the meeting agenda, the board is concerned that having faculty applicants demonstrate a commitment to diversity through a written “diversity statement” may lead to the universities hiring based on factors other than merit.

“Hiring decisions should be made based on merit and the qualifications of the candidates who apply for positions at our institutions,” State Board President Kurt Liebich said in a Tuesday news release. “Requiring written statements can complicate matters and take the focus off qualifications of individual candidates. We want to hire highly qualified people invested in the success of every student at our institutions.”

The meeting agenda states that faculty nationwide have raised concerns these diversity statements violate First Amendment rights and academic freedom principles. But the board is not aware of any specific concerns from faculty in Idaho and is not aware of the “extent to which diversity statements have been used for hiring decisions at Idaho’s public postsecondary institutions.”

UI spokeswoman Jodi Walker told the Daily News that the university has required diversity statements in the past, but it was not common practice.

The meeting agenda quoted a statement from the nonprofit The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression saying that diversity statements compel faculty “to affirm contested views on matters of public debate or to embed specific ideological perspectives in their academic activities.”

FIRE claims this violates their individual rights and dissuades intellectual freedom.

Such requirements “are especially concerning given that adverse consequences for those who hold or voice dissenting, minority, or simply unpopular opinions are increasingly common on campus,” the FIRE statement said.

According to the meeting agenda, faculty and staff are responsible for creating a welcoming and learning environment for all students.

The board clarified this vote only applies to written statements and not conversations about diversity.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.