CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Amid anti-Israel protests on college campuses nationwide, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill’s board of trustees boldly voted to gut funding for the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) department and redirect the funds to campus police.
During a special meeting on Monday to address the university’s budget, UNC Chapel Hill’s board voted unanimously to redirect $2.3 million in diversity funding toward campus safety and police, WUNC reported.
The additional monies for campus police comes in the wake of weeks of anti-Israel demonstrations on campus, which have resulted in dozens of arrests, a majority of whom were not enrolled at UNC.
The school’s budget committee introduced the amendment to cut the DEI budget, a move that could lead to the elimination of the school’s diversity office, according to the Daily Wire.
“I think that DEI in a lot of people’s minds is divisiveness, exclusion and indoctrination,” budget committee vice chairman Marty Kotis said. “We need more unity and togetherness, more dialogue, more diversity of thought.”
“It’s important to consider the needs of all 30,000 students, not just the 100 or so that may want to disrupt the university’s operations,” Kotis exhorted. “It takes away resources for others.”
“My personal opinion is that there’s administrative bloat in the university,” Board Chairman David Boliek told the Raleigh News & Observer. “Any cuts in administration and diverting of dollars to rubber-meets-the-road efforts like public safety and teaching is important.”
Last month, 36 people were detained at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus where anti-Israel protesters took down the American flag and replaced it with a Palestinian flag. Among the detainees, 30 were charged with trespassing. Only 10 of the 30 individuals were UNC students, WUNC reported.
“When you destroy property or you take down the U.S flag and you have to put up gates around it — that costs money,” Kotis, the budget committee vice chairman said. “It’s imperative that we have the proper resources for law enforcement to protect the campus.”
