As debate rages over whether American universities should expand or scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, a new study finds that a large segment of American college students reject force-feeding. These initiatives.
College research and data website Rover's kidney was cleared More than 1,000 American college students and found that 45 percent of them oppose making DEI courses mandatory on college campuses.
Rover College founder Bill Townsend, who published the study in November, told Fox News Digital that these students oppose mandatory DEI programs because they “may feel apprehensive about forced participation, viewing it as limiting personal choice or ideological freedom.”
On the other hand, his report indicated that 54% of university students believe that “these classes should be mandatory for all students.”
A new study reveals that nearly half of American college students do not want DEI courses to be mandatory at their schools.
The author commented on the roughly 50-50 split among students on the topic, telling Vox, “Our survey results highlighted a nuanced and polarized position on DEI initiatives… The consistency suggests entrenched views influenced by both growing awareness of the benefits of DEI and persistent skepticism about “Execute them.”
Although college students are torn in DEI courses Mandated in universitiesMost view DEI programs in a positive light. “Seventy percent of college students describe the overall impact of DEI programs as positive, saying these initiatives have increased their understanding of diversity and inclusion,” the report announced.
She added that 79% of Democratic students agree that DEI programs are “positive,” while 64% of Republican students have the same opinion.
However, the study also revealed that only 47% of college students wanted to take a class that “focused on race, gender, or identity.” Only 30% of Republican students said they wanted to enroll in such classes, while 60% of Democratic students expressed their desire to enroll in such classes.
The report added that only 10% of students told College Rover that they “feel uncomfortable discussing race, gender, or sexual identity in class” at all, “primarily due to fear of being judged or misunderstood.”
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The University of Michigan was one of several US colleges to roll back part of its DEI programs this year. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Townsend noted that students' opinions are influenced by public hostility toward DEI initiatives, but they seem more open to them than the public.
“Student opinions certainly reflect the passion shown in public discourse, but they seem a little more open to engagement and discussion,” he said, adding: “Nearly half of students reported that DEI programs made them more open to diverse viewpoints.”
“This openness may come from being in academic environments that encourage dialogue, although some remain hesitant due to fear of judgment.”
When asked why he conducted his study, Townsend cited “the growing public debate around diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education and their tangible impact on students.”
“With so much polarization, we wanted to base the conversation on data, asking: Are these programs promoting inclusion or fomenting division?” He said.
Many major American universities have I blinked Their DEI programs in 2024 in response to public backlash. Texas public universities have eliminated DEI offices, DEI-related positions, and mandatory DEI training. This included layoffs and restructuring at institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M.
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University of Michigan It dismantled a set of DEI requirements in 2024, with the school stating in a recent press release that it “will no longer require diversity data as part of faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure.”
A university faculty task force recommended rescinding the data request because of its “potential to limit freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus.”
The University of North Carolina System redirected millions in DEI initiatives to public safety and discontinued DEI programs on campus in May. Additionally, Iowa's three public universities — the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa — began removing DEI offices and reallocating funds after the state law passed earlier this year.
Under Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Administration, Florida restricts DEI at public universities in 2023.
Outside of the university sphere, President-elect Donald Trump pledged during his 2024 campaign to eliminate DEI programs in the federal government, years after the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden administration spent more than $1 billion on DEI.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
Townsend commented on this nationwide decline, telling Fox: “While 70% view these initiatives favorably, concerns about whether DEI promotes diversity of thought are valid concerns. For DEI programs to be successful, they need to balance between promoting inclusivity and ideological incompatibility.”
The researcher warned that rejecting DEI programs altogether could be a rash move.
“As noted above, poorly trained but ill-equipped teaching about DEI has undermined many of the positive aspects of DEI,” he said. “This may be a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
He added: “There are always pendulums and societal moods happening in society, and this is faster and more surprising with the Internet and social media (especially when they are manipulated).
Fox News Digital's Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
