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Michigan State University recently removed diversity, equity and inclusion language from its Registered Student Organization requirements after it was flagged by the College Republicans.
On May 29, the College Republicans posted screenshots of MSU’s club requirements, which stated that the group’s “secretary is expected to foster a safe community where diversity, equity, and inclusion is embedded in the organization.”
The GOP students called the order “insane.”
“Our university is requiring leadership of all student organizations to agree to terms that require board members to enforce DEI within their organization. WE ARE REFUSING TO SIGN THIS AGREEMENT,” the group posted on X.
Prominent state politicians as well as social media accounts backed the group, prompting the controversy to gain traction.
Republican U.S. House Representative and Michigan gubernatorial candidate John James heavily criticized MSU for creating the ideologically-infused rules, posting “this is a blatant attack on your 1st Amendment rights which will NOT be tolerated in my administration… We CANNOT let them win!”
Prominent social media account Libs of Tiktok even took a swing at the university, writing: “Wow. @michiganstateu is requiring student group leaders to commit to inject racist DEI practices in order to be recognized as an official campus organization.”
It asked, “How is this legal??” tagging Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice Harmeet Dhillon.
Shortly after publishing the original post, which has now been viewed over 320,000 times, Michigan State removed the DEI requirement from the agreement, changing it to the “secretary is expected to foster a safe and inclusive community.”
MSU College Republicans praised the decision, calling it a “huge victory” for the movement.
However, the GOP students wrote, “DEI is still deeply embedded in our university, and we will continue to do everything we can to completely eradicate this radical ideology.”
Lily Sumner, press secretary for College Republicans of America, told The College Fix the “DEI requirement at Michigan State University created an unnecessary barrier for student organizations by forcing ideological compliance as a condition for participation and recognition.”
Sumner said she believes that all student organizations “should be free to organize around their shared mission and values without being subjected to political litmus tests imposed by university administrators,” and “the goal should be creating environments where students are judged by their character, merit, and ideas.”
Over the past few months, multiple cuts have been made to MSU’s administration, including the elimination of DEI hiring practices and update of the school’s 2030 strategic plan to remove ideological language, as reported by The State News.
Despite this, Sumner said she believes DEI initiatives are still prevalent at MSU and at other institutions, remaining through administrative offices, mandatory training, hiring practices, scholarship programs, and student organization regulations.
Instead, she said, “universities should be places of intellectual diversity, free expression, and viewpoint neutrality.
“Student groups thrive when they are allowed to recruit leaders and members based on commitment to their organization’s purpose, not adherence to a university-mandated ideology,” she said.
MORE: Higher ed groups critical of Michigan State University’s ‘loyalty’ pledge for board members
