Harvard Faculty Drops Diversity Statement Requirement, Introduces Service Statements for Tenure-Track Positions

Jun 3, 2024, 07:14 PM

Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences has announced it will no longer require applicants for tenure-track positions to submit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements. This policy change, effective immediately, replaces the DEI statements with service statements that detail efforts to strengthen academic communities. The decision marks a significant shift in the university's hiring practices and reflects a broader trend among academic institutions reconsidering the role of DEI statements. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is Harvard's largest division, and the change was announced by Dean of Faculty Affairs and Planning Nina Zipser. This move follows similar actions by other universities and has been seen as a victory for advocates of academic freedom and intellectual diversity. The DEI statements had been required since 2019, and the change was influenced by lobbying from the Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard. Claudine Gay, who previously instituted the DEI statements, was the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.