Many UT schools, including UTD, laid off staff, altered programming and restructured their offices to comply with the law when it first went into effect in 2024.
Texas Senate Bill 17 prohibits public universities from having any DEI-related offices, trainings or hiring practices, but explicitly does not touch academic instruction or research. The law requires every school be audited for compliance at least once every four years. If a school is found non-compliant and does not rectify the issue within 180 days of the audit, then it is ineligible for state funding increases and other benefits.
The state audit, published in May, looked specifically at whether UT System schools — along with 15 community colleges — spent state money in violation of the DEI ban. That included making sure employee trainings and required student activities complied with the law. The audit also included a review of all websites and announcements related to former DEI-related programming.
“The UT System is always committed to full alignment with law, policy and executive orders,” UT System spokesperson Ben Wright said.
The audit’s finding comes after Texas lawmakers pushed schools to comply. When the law initially went into effect in January 2024, several schools, including UT and UTD, shuttered their DEI offices, opting instead for offices centered around “resources and support” or “community engagement.” UTA has not had a DEI office since 2022, but it renamed its Office of Talent, Culture and Inclusion to the “Office of Talent, Culture and Engagement.”
However, former state Sen. Brandon Creighton, now chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, warned university leaders in March 2024 that simply changing the names of offices and employee titles is “unacceptable,” and following the law requires “a fundamental shift” in how universities operate.
Shortly after, UT and UTD announced layoffs of dozens of employees formerly in DEI offices. Then-UTD President Richard Benson had previously said “no one would lose a job” because of SB 17. UTD and UTA did not respond to requests for comment.
The UT System was the second major university system to be audited for SB 17 compliance. In an audit of the Texas A&M University System last year, the state found the system’s Killeen location violated the law by working with a third party to “perform certain duties” of a DEI office. The university agreed with the finding and implemented a corrective action plan.
The DEI ban is also enforced through the Office of the Ombudsman in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, where people can submit complaints about potential violations. Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Brandon Simmons, former chair of the Texas Southern University Board of Regents, to lead the office and investigate complaints. If a university does not amend a violation, the ombudsman can recommend the school be blocked from spending state funds.
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