New reports indicate that Louisiana colleges spend very little on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, raising concerns among advocates.
In fact, about half of the public colleges in Louisiana reported spending nothing at all on DEI. Those that did spent a tiny fraction of their budgets—between 0.001% and 0.42%. Overall, 17 schools spent around $3.5 million on DEI out of a whopping $2.7 billion in state funding. That’s just 0.1% of the total higher education budget.
The reports were required by Act 641, which was introduced by Rep. Emily Chenevert. This law mandates that all public colleges in Louisiana report on their DEI spending and personnel. The reports include details about programs, their purposes, and the funding allocated to them. However, the way schools counted personnel varied, making it hard to get a clear picture.
Monty Sullivan, who heads the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, defended DEI efforts. He pointed out that a diverse workforce is what employers want from Louisiana schools. Sullivan believes the focus on DEI is a distraction from the real goal: preparing graduates to contribute to the state’s economy.
Interestingly, the law’s wording led to some confusion. For instance, many schools included their international student centers in their DEI reports, even though these centers don’t typically fall under DEI initiatives.
The reports also missed out on other important groups that benefit from DEI efforts, like veterans and first-generation students. LSU Faculty Senate President Dan Tirone emphasized that supporting individual success can benefit the entire campus community.
As for spending, the LSU System’s report included some items that have since been cut. For example, LSU’s main campus removed DEI language from most of its websites. The largest DEI expense was for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Center for Louisiana Studies, which focuses on the state’s culture and history.
Other expenditures varied widely, with some schools spending small amounts on events or initiatives. However, many items listed were done at no cost. Notably, DEI spending in athletics and Greek life was not included in these reports, which could skew the overall picture of DEI funding in Louisiana colleges.
