A majority of colleges and universities require students to take courses related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in order to graduate, according to a new report.
Speech First, a pro-free expression organization, examined the policies of 248 colleges across the country and found that 67% of them required DEI coursework to “satisfy general education requirements.” Students enrolled in these courses are “subjected to courses advocating far-left ideological perspectives and pushing far-left political advocacy,” the report notes.
“Requiring students to take DEI courses in order to receive a diploma stifles genuine diversity of thought and undermines the principles of academic freedom,” Speech First Executive Director Cherise Trump said in a Thursday press release. “When students are indoctrinated and coerced to this level, civic engagement dies.”
“DEI courses” were defined as those that contain material on topics including social justice, activism, intersectionality, Marxism, LGBTQ+, racism, ableism, feminism and racism, among other issues, according to the report. (RELATED: Universities Rebrand Their ‘Diversity And Inclusion’ Departments As Red State Laws Kick Into Effect)
The organization flagged several courses offered to students to satisfy DEI requirements.
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities offered a course titled “Queer Kinship: Undoing the American Family” that teaches the traditional American family “only exists within U.S. mythology built on imperialism and settler colonialism,” according to the report. A Boston University course titled “Social and Racial Justice: Advocacy and Action” mandated students participate “in rallies or protests as part of the curriculum.”
Loyola Marymount University, a Catholic school, offered a course titled “Bad Catholics” that explored writings of “Queer,” “Black,” and “Latinx” theologians in order to better understand “the role that dissent plays in the creative development of Catholic teaching,” the report showed.
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 12: A student walks through Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University on March 12, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Speech First surveyed institutions that either have D1 sports programs, were included in the US News Ranking 2023 of Best National Universities, had an endowment of over $1 billion or were among the top 100 institutions by undergraduate enrollment in the country in order to ensure all 50 states were represented, according to the report.
Republican lawmakers have enacted legislation to limit the influence of DEI in universities.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation restricting funding to DEI programs at the state’s public colleges and universities. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott banned DEI offices in the state’s public institutions of higher education in May 2023.
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Loyola Marymount University and Boston University did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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