Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Higher Education Dei topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mississippi Senate approves bill restricting diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public colleges
Summary
The Mississippi Senate voted to approve a measure that prohibits state public universities and community colleges from operating or funding offices and programs that give race- or identity‑based preference in hiring or admissions; the bill drew sustained floor debate before passing 34–14.
The Mississippi Senate approved legislation on [date of meeting] that restricts diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices and related practices at public colleges and universities. The bill instructs the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board to ensure institutions do not establish or fund DEI offices, require DEI statements, or otherwise provide preferential treatment in hiring or admissions on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. The measure passed by a recorded vote of 34 yeas and 14 nays.
Senators debated the measure at length before the final vote. Supporters described the bill as a return to a merit-based approach in hiring and admissions; the legislation also creates a separate task force to study university efficiency and graduation outcomes. The bill sets a 120-day period for the IHL and the community college board to adopt investigation and compliance procedures and requires annual public reports describing any complaints and outcomes.
Opponents warned the measure would remove supports and campus offices that help first‑generation students and historically underrepresented groups navigate college. On the floor, senators said the bill risked cutting wraparound services and programs that universities and colleges use to recruit and retain students and to help them complete degrees. Critics framed the change as a rollback of policies meant to address long‑standing inequities in education access.
The bill defines prohibited activities broadly, spelling out several categories of conduct the legislature would bar. Those include creating administrative units intended to influence hiring or admissions based on identity; training programs designed to change participants’ beliefs about race or gender; or material that asserts one identity group is inherently superior or inherently oppressive. The law also lists specific exceptions, including scholarly research, certain student organization activity, court orders, and services for veterans, students with disabilities or children in state custody.
Under the new language, individuals who believe an institution has violated the provisions may report it to the institution’s board; the board must investigate. The attorney general’s office can also investigate and seek judicial enforcement. Institutions must submit their policies and compliance plans to the legislature’s leaders within 120 days, and report annually on complaints and how they were handled.
The bill attracted protests and a broad floor debate that ranged from questions about specific campus programs to broader arguments about Mississippi’s history and the role of higher education in remedying past discrimination. Proponents said the change will clarify and standardize hiring and admissions practices; opponents said the change threatens student support systems that help historically disadvantaged students succeed.
The measure passed the Senate 34–14. Next steps: the bill will move to the House for consideration or to confer if the House has already passed a companion measure. The law does not itself close campuses or eliminate general student services; it specifically restricts the creation and use of programs and offices that provide identity‑based preference, as defined in the bill.
