The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted Monday to cut the school’s diversity funding and move the money over to public safety and policing, a decision that comes in the wake of the highly publicized pro-Palestinian demonstrations on its and dozens of other campuses.
The decision takes $2.3 million away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts on campus, potentially terminating the school’s DEI office, The Associated Press reported.
One board member pointed to the anti-war protests on campus, which have led to multiple arrests, as fueling the need for more police funding.
“It’s important to consider the needs of all 30,000 students, not just the 100 or so that may want to disrupt the university’s operations,” said budget committee vice-chair Marty Kotis, according to the AP.
The Hill has reached out to UNC for comment.
The school seems to be getting ahead of a vote among North Carolina’s Committee on University Governance regarding restrictions of DEI policies on state campuses.
Red states have been cutting back on DEI efforts at colleges, including banning offices entirely.