A recent audit conducted by the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau reveals the University of Wisconsin system spent tens of millions of dollars on more than 1,200 DEI activities in recent years. More than half of those activities occurred on the system's two largest campuses: UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, with a combined enrollment of more than 70,000 students.
Pointing to the audit, Matt Lamb of The College Fix notes the school incurred an estimated $40 million in costs for offices with duties pertaining to DEI – and an additional $12.5 million on staffing costs alone – in fiscal year 2023-24. He thinks he knows why the university was willing to do the audit.
"Several years ago, the Board of Regents made a deal with the state legislative leaders essentially agreeing to restrict DEI growth, to cut racially discriminatory programs in exchange for money for an engineering building, for raises, [and] for other improvements," he explains.
He predicts the audit will result in "meaningful changes" and not be filed away and forgotten in a couple of years.
"Because Republican leaders in the state are interested in reining in DEI," he continues. "And furthermore, directives from the Trump administration likely outlaw a number of these programs because they appear to discriminate on the basis of race."
The College Fix further points out that UW in 2023 cut large chunks of DEI programming in exchange for $800 million for infrastructure improvements and pay raises.
The UW system consists of 14 institutions – 13 four-year universities and UW System Administration.
