Texas A&M has denied that language in a school job description constitutes an unlawful “diversity, equity, and inclusion” program.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs were banned in higher education by the state legislature. The ban went into effect on January 1, 2024. A multi-part investigative series by The Dallas Express identified eight public higher-education institutions potentially violating the state prohibition, including Texas A&M. A job listing for a “Senior IT Professional” at the university mandated that the applicant “champion workplace diversity and inclusiveness.”
DX contacted the university in mid-March, prior to the investigation’s publication. However, a university spokesperson only recently issued a statement. The university rejects the notion that including this language suggests an unlawful DEI program or having an officer of the school conduct DEI-related duties.
“While the job posting does include words associated with DEI, they appear in the job responsibilities section and not in the qualifications section. There are no DEI-related requirements that candidates would need to fulfill to be selected for this position,” the spokesperson said.
“In line with our core values, Texas A&M University fosters an environment of respect and camaraderie, in line with being ‘… a community of problem-solvers, scholars, and creators with a service mission,’” the official added.
The university’s statement aligns with changes that were made to the job listing immediately after DX contacted university officials. Although A&M took several weeks to issue a written response, the job listing had the “diversity and inclusion” section struck within 48 hours of contact. Later, this listing was updated so that the applicant would be required to “champion workplace camaraderie.”
A&M was only one of three universities that did not immediately respond to requests for comment when identified in the investigation. Lamar University had a delay of about a week, which a spokesperson attributed to Spring Break. The University of Texas at Austin (UT), the institution with the second most potential violations after Dallas College, has yet to issue a written response. However, UT did scrap some of the job listings that could have been perceived as containing DEI requirements.