The University of California (UC) Regents announced on March 19, 2025, that diversity statements are banned in the faculty hiring process at UC campuses. Like Columbia University and many others across the country, the UC system made this change in an attempt to retain crucial funding as universities nationwide have lost millions under the Trump administration’s federal budget cuts.
Some of these funding losses have targeted certain universities for perceived anti-Semitism on campuses or accusations of “race-exclusionary practices in universities” in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Columbia University alone lost $400 million in federal grants in retaliation for “mishandling its response to harassment against Jewish students.”
Their university’s administration quickly caved to federal pressure by banning the wearing of masks on campus and hiring more security, hoping to appeal to the Trump administration and gain back some of this funding. The Justice Department also opened an investigation into some UC campuses, including UC Los Angeles and UC Berkeley, looking into specific allegations of anti-Semitic discrimination happening during and following the pro-Palestine solidarity encampments last spring.
In addition, the Trump administration issued a widespread order to K-12 schools and colleges across the country to eliminate DEI programs or risk losing federal funding altogether. This threat against universities has concerned many campuses enough to comply. Trump’s pressure to ban DEI programs has also prompted the UC into a worryingly preemptive response of banning diversity statements in hiring.
The UC system is indeed highly dependent on funding received from the state and federal
governments. In the 2019-2020 academic year, 42 percent of the UC campuses’ revenue came from state funding, and in the 2024-2025 academic year, 45 percent came from the state’s General Fund. Losing this funding for campus operations could result in layoffs, loss of federal research grants and lack of financial aid and student resources. This is likely why the UC Regents banned diversity statements. However, their decision is a clear message of just how quickly university leaders are willing to cave to pressure from the presidential administration.
A majority of the backlash that followed the introduction of the process — and which is being used by the current administration — are allegations that this requirement was discriminatory against white, Asian-American and Jewish applicants. What these claims neglect to consider is that the race of the applicant isn’t taken into account within the submitted statement.
There is no requirement within the instruction to include the identity of the applicant. Instead, applicants are asked to share how they have worked to improve diversity in their workplace or community. The only factors considered in the hiring process are the actions and ability to improve diversity and help reduce discrimination in the workplace. By definition, this practice is far from discriminatory.
For decades, diversity statements have been part of the hiring process at many UC campus departments. The requirement became common across the nation in the 2010s, and UC campuses became a national leader in adopting the standard. The decision to ban the practice outright, after decades of endurance, is a stab in the back to UC students, faculty and staff.
Diversity is incredibly important in hiring and creating a dynamic workplace, especially on college campuses. Studies show that this discrimination is still subtly present on every campus across the country. After generations of systemic exclusion, incentivizing those who will be a consistent presence, like faculty and staff, on campus to advance equity and inclusion is the very least universities can do. And now, UC campuses are refusing to even allow that.
The UC Regents’ decision to ban this practice without being specifically instructed by the federal government shows that their priorities lie with appeasing the Trump administration and not serving their students and staff. After just three months into Trump’s second term, the UC Regents’ action comes from one of the country’s more progressive university systems, which is a concerning sign of what is to come to higher education institutions.
