The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) has announced it will no longer consider race, gender, national origin, or sex in hiring, promotion, tenure decisions, or certain scholarships—despite no binding law requiring this move. This isn’t about legal compliance. It’s about political fear.

UIC is a federally designated minority-serving institution where more than half of the student body identifies as Hispanic, Latino, Asian, or Black. These changes effectively erase the lived experiences and structural barriers faced by thousands of students and faculty, just to avoid potential scrutiny from a hostile federal administration.

Let's be clear: There has been no new federal law or executive order that mandates this rollback. In fact, a court just blocked the Trump administration’s guidance that threatened DEI efforts. Yet UIC is voluntarily eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion criteria from financial aid and faculty advancement.

This is a betrayal of the university’s stated mission to serve the diverse communities of Chicago and to expand access to higher education. Faculty are being told their work to advance equity and inclusion no longer counts. Students whose scholarships once recognized systemic barriers are now told merit is blind to context.

We call on Tim Killeen, President of the University of Illinois System, and Marie Lynn Miranda, Chancellor of UIC to reverse this policy and publicly reaffirm their commitment to equitable access and inclusive excellence.

Illinois taxpayers and students deserve better. Our public institutions must not cave to fear-based politics. Sign this petition to demand UIC and the University of Illinois System recommit to DEI and reinstate race- and gender-conscious practices in financial aid and hiring—because access and equity should not be optional.

Photo: Pat Nabong/Sun-Times