University of California imposes systemwide hiring freeze, end to diversity statements
Facing state budget cuts and threats to federal funding by President Donald Trump, the University of California announced an indefinite systemwide hiring freeze Wednesday.
The 10-campus university will also eliminate diversity statements in any hiring processes following direction from the federal Department of Education to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
UC President Michael Drake announced the hiring freeze in a Wednesday letter to faculty and students.
“Over the last few months, the new administration in Washington, D.C., has announced a number of executive orders and proposed policy changes, including ones that threaten funding for lifesaving research, patient care, and education support,” Drake said.
“As one of the most innovative, research-focused public institutions in the nation, these proposed changes would have a particularly profound impact on the University of California.”
The system, which serves nearly 300,000 students, is also facing an 8% budget cut proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Along with the freeze on hiring, Drake directed all campuses to impose other cost-saving measures like delaying maintenance and limiting business travel.
Diversity statements no longer required
Separately Wednesday, the UC Board of Regents directed all campuses to eliminate requirements for job candidates to submit diversity statements during the hiring process.
A diversity statement is a letter explaining how an applicant would contribute to diversity on campus and outlining experience with DEI training, programs or other efforts.
Janet Reilly, chair of the UC Board of Regents, said in a statement that the university’s “values and commitment to our mission have not changed. We will continue to embrace and celebrate Californians from a variety of life experiences, backgrounds, and points of view.”
While not required by the entire system, some departments and programs had required the statements.
UC Davis had required all applicants for faculty positions to submit one. As of Thursday, web pages explaining how to write a diversity statement and why the university required them were still on the UC Davis website.
UC Davis spokesperson James Nash referred the Sacramento Bee to Reilly’s statement about the decision. Nash did not respond to further inquiry about how the systemwide decision affects UC Davis’ Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, which strongly encouraged other institutions to require diversity statements in the applicant process.
The change comes as the Trump administration targets DEI efforts in the federal government and schools.
A February memo from the Department of Education directed schools and higher education institutions to end race-based initiatives — including consideration of a student’s race in admissions and financial aid applications and in support for affinity groups — or lose federal funding.
“The Department will no longer tolerate the overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation’s educational institutions,” the letter reads. “The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal.”
Davis Faculty Association Chair Jesse Drew said that the university is already critically understaffed and that the hiring freeze will affect every aspect of the university — including research, class sizes, cuts to class offerings, infrastructure and the availability of teaching assistants.
”It affects every single aspect of how we can fulfill our obligation to enhance higher education in California,” he said.
He also characterized the elimination of DEI statements in the application process as “absurd.”
“The fact that the university is rolling over and caving is just a sign of weakness,” he said. “I think they should fight back against that and tap into the huge institution of the University of California to help push that fight. We have a lot of power, we have a lot of students and a lot of clout — I don’t see any reason to roll over and play dead just because Trump is hating on us.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 1:49 PM with the headline "University of California imposes systemwide hiring freeze, end to diversity statements."
