The following is an excerpt from an article published by OpenTheBooks.com, a nonprofit group dedicated to transparency in government spending, for which The Jefferson Council contributed research and fact-checking. OpenTheBooks.com CEO Adam Andrzejewski will speak at The Jefferson Council third annual meeting April 9.
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EXCERPT
The University of Virginia has at least 235 employees under its “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)” banner — including 82 students — whose total cost of employment is estimated at $20 million. That’s $15 million in cash compensation plus an additional 30 percent for the annual cost of their benefits.
In contrast, last Friday, the University of Florida dismissed its DEI bureaucracy, saving students and taxpayers $5 million per year. The university terminated 13 full-time DEI positions and 15 administrative faculty appointments. Those funds have been re-programmed into a “faculty recruitment fund” to attract better people who actually teach students.
No such luck for learning at Virginia’s flagship university — founded by Thomas Jefferson no less. UVA has a much deeper DEI infrastructure.
[. . .]
Tens of millions of dollars in student tuition and taxpayer monies are flowing into promoting anti-American notions and radical philosophies that judge the color of one’s skin instead of the content — and competence — of their character.
Students, taxpayers and all who care about learning can look to Florida as the beacon of a new day. Perhaps Virginia, a birthplace of our Constitutional republic, home to birth places of individual rights and freedoms in America, will emulate the model.
Adam Andrzejewski is the founder and CEO of OpenTheBooks.com with the mission: “Every Dime, Online, In Real Time.”
Florida outshining Virginia in recognizing how tax dollars can truly result in EDUCATION rather than a layered bureaucracy that feeds its own ideological nonsense. Are you paying attention parents? Taxpayers? Remind me, why is UVA worth $70,000 out-of-state annual tuition.
Karen cost of attendance out of state is actually $83,658 for a 3rd and 4th year student. Our 2 alumnae daughters were out of state. It’s outrageous!https://sfs.virginia.edu/financial-aid-new-applicants/financial-aid-basics/estimated-undergraduate-cost-attendance-2024-2025
Who in the Adminstration/Board of Visitors has a fiduciary res-ponsibility to the parents and the taxpayers? How does this demonstrably support the mission of education in general and preparation for the world that awaits them upon graduation? What is the cost/benefit analysis result?
Kim – yours is the key question. Resource allocation reflects mission.
This is why woke left Democrats want power and will do whatever it takes to retain that power.
History will not treat DEI and its proponents kindly. The rationing of preference and resources and value to individuals based on the group identity bucket they are placed in by an administrative authority whose absolute power brooks no internal dissent. Buy why wait 100 years until history has spoken? Now that we have the numbers – just ask the customers – students and parents – if they are ok with some UVa staff with authority described above making $400k and their TA making $30k?Asked another way – and using Netflix’s HR approach – can the customers do without these obscenely compensated DEI people or do without teaching faculty? In a resource constrained environment – this is a legitimate and pivotal and correct question. And with departmental rankings in decline for many years due to lack of resources – one that a true fiduciary would work to answer.
I hope that you are correct regarding how History will treat these woke democrats. However, because History is written by the winners, I don’t think that you will be correct.
Think of what $20 million would be better used for. Please. I get it. UVA was a racist bastion, according to some Leftists, but to throw that much money to explain to college-level students to be nice to other people boggles this alumnus’ mind. Mebbe spend the $20 mil on more parking. With, instead of a handicapped sign, quotations from Martin Luther King, Gandhi and the Bible. To TEACH diversity and pay someone over half-a-million dollars to do so, is a scam and a scandal.
Maybe the DEI money could be switched to NIL payments and enhance UVA’s athletic program?
Putting things in perspective and giving an idea of our devalued currency; It took 6 years for our 4th GG James Breckinridge to get the approval for $60K from the Virginia House (which our Cabell cousins matched). 20M for this Diversity BS is disgusting. Let some heads roll!
Here is UVA’s response to a Washington Examiner article reporting Open the Books’ findings:“At the University of Virginia, our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is intended to offer our students and community members the opportunity to engage with and learn from a wide range of people, ideas, and perspectives,” a UVA spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “To achieve that, we welcome students, faculty, and staff who reflect the rich diversity of the Commonwealth we serve, we focus intently on teaching students to bridge differences in ideology, life experience, and other perspectives, and we strive to offer a wide range of points of view in the classroom and in programming around grounds.”The spokesperson claimed that a “recent University analysis found that UVA has 55 dedicated DEI positions at an institution of more than 40,000 students, faculty, and staff.”
Key weasel word in the qualification – “dedicated”Meanwhile, if you did FTE equivalent with all the programs and “training” and reports pushed everywhere, teaching time lost, etc, I think you could hit 1,000 FTE equivalency.Interesting how quickly UVA can respond with its propaganda arm when a non-approved message gets out… How much does that part cost?
Marxist redistribution of wealth in action.
We can’t give up on a national treasure. But clearly the change will have to come from outside like it did in Florida. And the change has to be harsh, comprehensive and quick – no drawn-out process.
“if we can but prevent the government from wasting the labour of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them..”Thomas Jefferson Nov. 29 1802
Let me get this straight: my alma mater barrages me with fundraising solicitations, in part to pay the salaries of peoplewhose job is to prevent my kids from being admitted 😅!