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University of Utah

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
201 Presidents' Cir
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
Phone
(801) 581-7200
Email address
admissions@utah.edu
School Information
"Imagine what you want to accomplish, then really making it happen. Imagine designing and publishing a video game before earning your diploma, starting a business while studying business, and doing all this in a setting that begs you to get out and do something... Imagine, then Do. Opportunity awaits and all things are possible at a place we call Imagine U. The University of Utah." The university enrolls over 31,000 students, has a 17:1 student-faculty ratio, and over 150 academic programs. (Source: https://www.utah.edu/about/) (Source: https://www.utah.edu/) (Source: https://advising.utah.edu/majors/quick-look/index.php)
General Information
Individual institutions within the University of Utah have outlined their Diversity and Antiracism plans. For example, the school held an Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Graduation ceremony. The school has instituted a Diversity course requirement for all students. See developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • On June 29, 2023, the university issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which reads in part as follows: "The University of Utah does not use race or ethnicity as a factor in its admissions process. Nevertheless, university leaders affirmed their support for creating a campus community that serves the entire state and where all feel safe and welcome. This means exceptional students from all cultures, viewpoints and experiences call our campus home...The university considers the 'whole student' as the foundation of its admissions process. Prospective students’ applications are evaluated comprehensively, with a primary emphasis on academic performance in high school and the rigor of the coursework."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • The University of Utah's Physics & Astronomy EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Committee and Executive Committee have modified the "Departmental Retention, Promotion, and Tenure policy" to require candidates for promotion and tenure to "submit a statement of accomplishments for and commitment to enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion."
  • The university offers the "Whiteness Privilege and Critical Praxis" course.
  • As part of the "One U Thriving" initiative, the Office of EDI hosts "Friday Forums on Racism in Higher Education."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • The University of Utah has a Diversity requirement which entails taking 1 course on diversity.
Resources
  • The university hosted a forum titled "A Call for Racial Healing", which centers around two questions: "How do we, as a community, make anti-racism an everyday action? How do we begin healing from our nation's legacy of anti-Black racism and systemic inequities that exist in higher education?"
  • The health sciences library created an "Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-racism Leadership Strategy (IDEALS)" site, which features resources on "implicit bias" and "microaggressions."
  • The Anti-Racism committee accepted applications for individuals to participate in "Anti-Blackness and racial intergroup dialogue," which will explore "experiences with privilege, discrimination and oppression with a particular social identity."
Symbolic Actions
  • In August 2021, the Anti-Racism Task Force (ARTF), which was formed in 2017, is now a component of the "One U Thriving" initiative and has been renamed the "Anti-Racism Committee."
  • The One U Thriving initiative has 4 major committees, including the "Anti-Racism Committee," the "Racist and Bias Incident Response Team," the "Universal Design and Access Committee," and the "Presidential Commission on the Status of Women."
  • The university hosts a monthly discussion series named, "Reframing the Conversation." Some previous events include, "Strange Fruit: Why We Must Address Anti-Black Racism" and "Inclusive Histories Matter," which sought to "tackle Critical Race Theory and the misinformation surrounding CRT.
  • In January 2022, the English Department affirmed its commitment to anti-racism initiatives, such as recruiting a more diverse student body.
  • The Department of Communications "Anti-Racist Code of Conduct" passed in a unanimous faculty vote in 2020, and was amended on 2022.
  • The University of Utah hosted an Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Graduation Ceremony on May 2, 2023.
  • The University of Utah’s Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion division has a “ceremony dedicated specifically for individuals of the LGBTQIA+ campus community.” This ceremony is known as Lavender Graduation.
  • On April 19, 2023, the University of Utah held an event for “Reframing the Conversation: Turning the Tide” which “brings together experts from across campus and the community to spark important conversations around racism, othering, and safety.”
  • The University of Utah’s College of Social & Behavioral Science has an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee which works towards “fostering and advocating for cultural transformation with regard to equity, diversity and inclusion,” “offering resources to students, staff, and faculty to foster a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus,” and “standing with disenfranchised communities in ongoing liberation struggles for human rights on campus and off.”
Last updated March 27th, 2024
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