Staff Reports
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is no stranger to initiatives rooted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). However, recently, the university has come under fire for a few of its scholarship programs that require applicants to be from specific races. This has caused a stir among many, as it is alleged that these programs are in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race-based discrimination.
EXTRA: Following my reporting on University of Central Florida's racially segregated scholarship programs—which violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act—the university has begun deleting this information from its website.
They're trying to hide the evidence against them. pic.twitter.com/1av4aiCr0a
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 15, 2023
The Minority Teachers Scholarship, which has been offered since the 1990s, was the main focus of the criticism. This scholarship sought to increase the number of diverse students pursuing a teaching degree, and according to an archived version of its website, accepted students were awarded up to $4,000. In addition, the scholarship provided mentors, professional development and academic support. After the Twitter thread compiled by Manhattan Institute fellow Christopher Rufo on Tuesday alleged that UCF was violating applicants’ civil rights, the university quietly deleted the webpage with information about this scholarship.
UCF also recommends that departments require potential faculty to submit an "Equity and Inclusion Statement," which serves as a loyalty oath to left-wing ideology. For final interviews, the university endorses explicit racial quotas: a minimum of one woman and one minority. pic.twitter.com/4NMhkMiFJr
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 15, 2023
In addition to the Minority Teachers Scholarship, UCF also offers two other scholarships that require applicants to be a member of an “underrepresented” group. The Harris Diversity Initiative Scholarship is offered in the College of Engineering & Computer Science and the Florida Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation is a National Science Foundation (NSF) project for students majoring in STEM.
Rufo alleged that UCF’s DEI programming is much larger than what is reported in a report submitted to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. He claims that UCF departments have made pledges to advance DEI after George Floyd was murdered in the spring of 2020, and recommends departments require applicants to submit “Equity and Inclusion Statements” when applying for jobs and adhere to racial quotas.
In response to this, Gov. DeSantis has promised to address this problem in the coming months and has pledged to defund DEI programs at Florida colleges and universities during a Jan. 31 press conference on higher education. It remains to be seen what will come of this situation, but it is clear that the university’s alleged violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has sparked a great deal of controversy.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Caller
