University of North Texas

The Division of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access offers various "Diversity and Inclusion Training" programs online.

In Fall 2020, UNT created the "UNiTing Race Relations" program which separates participates by "INTRAgroups" and then reconvenes as "INTERgroups."

"Faculty Success" created the "Anti-Bias and Cultural Awareness Program." In Fall 2020, this program trained over 2,000 faculty and staff.

As part of the "Moving Forward Together" plan, UNT created a Strategic Plan. This plan seeks to implement training programs for all members of the university. Sessions for "diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence" will be required of students at orientation.

As of June 2020, "President Smatresk and university leaders worked together to begin identifying needed training and developed an actionable plan for training at all levels – from first-year students to faculty and staff."

Starting with the 2020-2021 year, UNT hopes to "require a cultural competency course of all its students in either a first-year seminar or as a standalone course integrated within Orientation and Transition Programs." This cultural competency training will also be required of faculty and staff.

UNT's College of Education hosted an event titled "Fighting Racism with Visiting Author Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul" which was an "educational event on understanding anti-racism." Dr. Cherry-Paul "pulls from her practices in anti-racism pedagogy to ensure teachers are meeting their students needs in the educational system."

The UNT history department created a new History Antiracism syllabus in response to George Floyd's death. This course includes one of the several texts written by Ibram X. Kendi, an author who is notable for his book, "How to Be an Antiracist."

UNT might decide to require diversity and anti-racist curriculum.

UNT published a November 30, 2023 memo from the Office of General Counsel which gives guidance to UNT officials on how to proceed in light of Texas law SB-17 (effective Jan. 1, 2024) which outlaws pubic higher education institutions from "establishing or maintaining" a diversity, equity, and inclusion office.

In December 2023, the University President released a statement titled "Committed to supporting students while restructuring Multicultural Center and Pride Alliance to comply with new Texas law." With the DEI office being disbanded, the University stated it is "developing a new structure that incorporates the staff and future work of the Multicultural Center and Pride Alliance into the student engagement area of Student Affairs to ensure the university continues to best serve our students and meet their needs." It also states, "UNT will continue to support all students, including our first-generation, low-income, and underserved students."

In June 25, 2020, the UNT Staff Senate Executive Committee called upon the President to engage in its action plan, "Moving Forward Together" for "Improving Diversity and Inclusion on Campus." This was submitted as part of UNT's Black Lives Matter initiatives.

UNT hopes to create a Diversity Council that will convene every semester "to monitor and review the university's progress toward racial and ethnic equity."

UNT's Africana Studies Program Certificate prepares students to "impact their communities in ways that will promote social justice, anti-racism, inclusion, equity and mutual respect."

In 2021, UNT's Health Science Center was awarded a $50 million award from the NIH "for the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity."

The Department of Anthropology had a "Racial Justice Scholarship" for Anthropology students at UNT "whose research and/or service work focuses on issues related to racial justice and equality." Awardees received $1,000 and recognition for their accomplishments.

The Department of Anthropology has an online giving page with scholarships that people can donate to. This includes the "UNT Anthropology Scholarship for Racial Justice" and the "Re Calderon Scholarship," which is for students interested in Social Justice.

The College of Education research includes work by Dr. Veronica Jones Baldwin and co-PI, Dr. Kaleb Briscoe, who were awarded $50,000 by the Spencer Foundation grant for their research project titled “Resistance or Racism? Unpacking Critical Race Theory Bans in a Sociopolitical Era of Anti-Racism.”

The Center for Racial and Ethnic Equity in Health and Society's core research areas include "Biosocial Approaches to Health Equity," "Innovative Educational Equity and Career Pathways," and "the causes of racial and ethnic disparities that impact economic growth" among others. Overall, the program aims to address "Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Texas."

In July 2023, UNT's Health Science Center was awarded the $10 million "John Lewis National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Endowment by the National Institutes of Health." It was the second time that the Center was awarded the endowment. The project period extends "through 2028 and the program in place through 2048."

Following the death of Darius Tarver in 2020, UNT hopes to "divest from the Denton Police Department." UNT also hopes to make other reforms for its police department, including required implicit bias training.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion's mission was: "The University of North Texas Office of Diversity and Inclusion facilitates the development of a socially just and intentionally inclusive environment for the university community through Cultural Humility and Inclusion, Education and Identity Development, and Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships." The office provides many resources as a commitment to its mission.

On August 7, 2023, Legal Insurrection published an article titled "University of North Texas Dissolves the DEI Office," which discusses how UNT has become the first "Texas university to publicly announce the dismantling of its DEI offices following the passage of SB 17.” According to LI, "In the wake of the Texas Legislature passing a ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and pressure from elected state officials, many universities have had to grapple with shuttering the doors of their social justice-focused departments."

The Office of the Provost's "White Accountability Group" was an Employee Resource Group that aimed "to create a more intentionally inclusive and equitable environment through our actions" and to "promote allyship, accompliceship, and anti-racism among white employees for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at UNT...."

UNT has a "Center for Racial and Ethnic Equity in Health and Society," that "seeks to increase the quality of life for all Texans and to foster an environment for economic growth and innovation by narrowing longstanding racial and ethnic gaps in healthcare." The center states it is "committed to seeking solutions to stimulate movement toward health equity."

In February 2024, an Accuracy in Media (AIM) investigation raised concerns about UNT's compliance with SB 17. While the University disbanded its DEI office, it "is reclassifying the work under 'belonging.'" It is notable that its "Diversity and Inclusion Task Force" was renamed the “Belonging Task Force.”  

UNT faculty criticized the University for preemptively "removing references to race and equity in course names." For example, a class in the School of Education titled “Race, Class, and Gender Issues in Education” was renamed “Critical Inquiry in Education.” The description of the course was also changed with the old description stating students would learn how to be “culturally responsive to their own students and how to 'debunk stereotypes and negative views' about students going to school in places where 'race, class and gender inequalities exist.'" Now, the course description states that students will “critically examine current topics related to providing leadership for various student groups.” According to the Texas Tribune, the UNT made around 130 edits to undergraduate courses and 78 edits to graduate courses in the School of Education.

UNT provides a list of external scholarships for "Underrepresented Students" such as the United Negro College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, General Awards for Minority Students, and others.

The school library has social justice resource guides.

In January 2024, according to a May 18, 2024 Texas Scorecard article, funding records for the Center for Belonging & Engagement Committee (replaced the DEI Center and Committee) "showed more than $633,000 allocated."

The President hosted two Black Lives Matter Virtual Town Halls in June 2020.

UNT has earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award for three years in a row. This award comes from the "INSIGHT Into Diversity" magazine.

UNT's Division of Integrity and Compliance issued an update on Texas Law SB-17 (effective Jan. 1, 2024), which prohibits the establishment of DEI offices in Texas higher education institutions. The Division states that "Bridge authors cannot create training material centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion as is applies to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation" or "assign or require an employee to take training material centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion as is applies to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation."

In May of 2024, the university updated its policy regarding academic freedom and responsibility by removing the phrase, “diversity, equity and inclusion.” On May 7th faculty and staff received an email from Assistant Vice Provost Angie Cartwright stating, “Recently, the Office of General Counsel of the UNT System ruled that a sentence in UNT Policy 06.035 Academic Freedom and Academic Responsibility was legally insufficient" and that the policy was revised to "align with Texas Senate Bill 17."