Statements from academic bodies or coverage in academic journals

MIT Ends Mandatory DEI Statements, Cites Academic Freedom - Sally Kornbluth

May 6, 2024, 04:15 PM

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has officially discontinued the use of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements in its faculty hiring and promotion processes. This decision marks MIT as the first elite private institution to eliminate this requirement, which has been a subject of controversy within academic circles. The move follows a private poll among MIT professors, revealing that approximately two-thirds opposed the mandatory DEI statements. Sally Kornbluth, a university spokesperson, stated, 'We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they don't work.' This highlights that while diversity remains a goal, the method of compelled statements was seen as counterproductive and an infringement on academic freedom.