Plans prompted skepticism from one scholar who says DEI is still deeply embedded in the institution
A new plan by the University of Michigan to invest in civil discourse is being questioned after the institution spent hundreds of millions of dollars on diversity, equity, and inclusion in recent years.
University President Domenico Grasso announced in September a $50 million investment in a new institute for civil discourse.
In the works since 2024, the institute is expected to open in the spring, a news release states.
“One of my priorities as president is for the nation to look to Michigan as a model in higher education for civil and robust discourse on critical issues,” Grasso said at a Board of Regents meeting in September.
“Silencing voices is anathema to a great university like ours,” he said. “Our common ground, in pursuit of the common good, must be reasoned discourse and civility. I believe we can — and must — rise to this moment, together, in ways only Michigan can.”
