SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. John Johnson says his proposal to do away with “diversity, equity and inclusion offices” in Utah’s universities aims to make sure they remain “bastions of academic freedom and integrity.”

He worries that diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives — in place at Weber State University, Utah State University and the University of Utah, among others — can stifle the academic environment. Senate Bill 283, which he introduced Thursday, would prohibit universities from funding or maintaining offices focused on such issues in a bid to do away with them.

“The primary goal of public universities must be to provide a rigorous academic environment where students can explore different ideas and perspectives in the pursuit of truth and knowledge. However, many stakeholders I have spoken with share concerns that the current DEI bureaucracies within public universities may prioritize promoting particular political or social ideologies over academic rigor and intellectual diversity,” he said in a statement Friday.

Johnson, a North Ogden Republican critical of what he deems “woke” culture, has put a focus on rooting out teaching of what he views as improper subjects in schools. A professor of data analytics and information systems at Utah State, he helped finance a film released last year that argues that critical race theory is embedded in some Utah schools, largely citing anecdotal incidents to make the case. He also proposed a measure banning the teaching of “divisive concepts” in Utah schools, which ultimately stalled.

Now he’s targeting DEI initiatives at Utah’s public universities, which he said cost some $11.5 million a year to fund. S.B. 283, he said, is to be considered next Monday at a hearing of the Utah Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.

“This legislation seeks to ensure that public universities remain bastions of academic freedom and integrity, free from any ideological coercion,” Johnson said. “By dismantling the DEI bureaucracies, we hope to promote a more inclusive and diverse academic environment that respects the individual rights and freedoms of all students and faculty while providing funds to provide scholarships and opportunities to those who need them most.”

Weber State announced creation of an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion division last year, describing it as a means of improving outreach to all students and better connecting them with the university. A statement at the time said creation of the division stemmed from the university’s five-year strategic plan, called Amplified, which puts a particular focus on “equity” in education.

Equity-minded practices, the plan reads, require “(r)espect for the aspirations and struggles of students who are not well-served by the current educational system.”

They entail belief “in the fairness of allocating additional college resources to students who have greater needs due to the systemic shortcomings of our educational system in providing for them,” the plan continues. What’s more, it goes on, such practices call for recognition “that the elimination of structural racism in institutions of higher education requires intentional critical deconstruction of structures, policies, practices, norms and values assumed to be race neutral.”

Utah State’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is meant to demonstrate the school’s commitment “to a diverse, equitable and inclusive institutional culture where everyone feels welcome and valued,” its website reads.

The website goes on: “From creation of inclusive environments and centers, like the Latinx Cultural Center and the Center for Intersectional Gender Studies and Research, to funding and staff increases for USU’s Inclusion Center, the Veterans Resource Center and the Office of Equity, USU is dedicated to making sure the campus community is welcoming for all.”

The University of Utah’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team “is deeply committed to enhancing the success of diverse faculty, students, trainees and staff as part of our broader goal to enrich the educational experiences and success of all members of our university community,” its website reads.

The university’s vice president for equity, diversity and inclusion oversees university organizations geared to American Indians, African Americans and the LGBT community, among others.

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