Temple reviewing DEI policies following nationwide letter from Department of Education

Temple is reviewing its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies following a letter from the Department of Education to all public education institutions nationwide, wrote President John Fry in a memo to the university community Monday.

Fry also wrote that Temple would confirm its policies and practices will comply with the new laws.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released the letter on Friday that admonished diversity policies and programs that “distribute benefits or burdens based on race,” and will assess university compliance within two weeks. 

“In light of the directives and guidance from the federal government, the university has brought together internal and independent external resources to ensure that our policies and practices align with all legal requirements while staying true to our mission and values,” Fry wrote. “This work is ongoing and will continue to evolve as new guidance emerges.”

The ED letter insinuated that DEI programs prefer certain racial groups and “teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not,” and that DEI programs “stigmatize students who belong to particular racial groups based on crude racial stereotypes.”

Temple’s Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership program is the center for diversity-centered development and inclusion through resources for students and faculty of race, nationality, gender, ability, faith and sexuality. 

Fry wrote that Temple’s mission is to “provide educational access and experiential opportunities to individuals from every walk of life, especially those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college.” 

Universities in the Philadelphia region, like the University of Pennsylvania have deleted all of their content from their Diversity and Inclusion website, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. 

Penn is reviewing its DEI programs to ensure that it is “consistent with the new federal government guidance” and the university’s values, according to UPenn’s website.