CONCORD, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire has pulled a DEI webpage, and changed a staffer’s title and certain hiring practices, as it seeks to comply with a new state law prohibiting public institutions from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
The new law went into effect last week as part of the state’s biennial budget. While federal judges blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on DEI in schools in April, New Hampshire politicians have pursued similar efforts of their own.
In a letter sent to colleagues last week, UNH president Elizabeth S. Chilton said the university “temporarily removed” its primary diversity and inclusion webpage pending a review of programs, policies, and online materials in light of the new statute.
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Academic and administrative leaders were also asked to remove DEI-related content on their websites as the review takes place, according to Chilton.
Chilton said the new law had also prompted changes to hiring and promotion practices, ending the use of diversity statements, which she said were previously optional and used infrequently.
The president also pointed to “organizational adjustments,” like changing the job title of the university’s chief diversity officer, a role Nadine Petty has held since 2020.
Now, Petty will temporarily hold the title of associate vice president for community, civil rights, and compliance.
“Nadine and her team will also play a key role in planning how UNH continues to foster a campus culture that supports access, belonging, and student success in a way that fully complies with state law,” Chilton said.
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A university spokesperson declined to provide additional details about the temporary nature of this change, and whether the university anticipates reinstating the position.
One of the lawmakers who championed the DEI ban said the temporary measures should remain in effect.
“These temporary changes need to become permanent,” said state Representative Joseph Sweeney, a Salem Republican, in a post on social media.
“UNH remains fully committed to providing educational access and opportunity, and to fostering a learning and working environment where all members of our community feel that they belong and can succeed,” Chilton said in her letter. “However, the new law requires us to reexamine how we pursue these goals within its parameters.”
She said the university doesn’t believe its current policies or practices conflict with the state law, but “the broad language of the provision and the risk of significant financial penalties require us to take proactive steps to mitigate uncertainty.”
If a school is out of compliance with the DEI ban, the state can withhold all of its public funding, according to the law.
Public K-12 schools are also explicitly prohibited from implementing DEI-related initiatives.
The Manchester School District has changed the job title of its former chief equity officer to executive director of student engagement, outcomes, and success.
Deb Howes, president of the teacher’s union AFT-NH, said there are relatively few DEI positions in New Hampshire that might be affected by the new law. At its peak, she estimated there were about five DEI positions.
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Amanda Gokee can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @amanda_gokee.