The University publicly released its third quarterly compliance report to the U.S. Department of Justice Wednesday. The report, dated June 30, outlines changes in faculty and staff hiring practices to remove diversity requirements and the elimination of programs and roles related to diversity, equity and inclusion across the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, the School of Education and Human Development, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Division for Student Affairs and the McIntire School of Commerce.
All changes outlined in the report have been fully implemented and supplement changes detailed in the first compliance report, dated Dec. 29, and the second report, dated March 31, the June 30 report states. The June 30 report is five pages, while both the first and second reports are seven pages.
The first quarterly compliance report sent to the Justice Department focused on broader institutional changes, through the removal of DEI-related programming across divisions and schools. The second report detailed more precise changes through the removal of specific programs and modifications to admissions practices. These changes include the elimination of several student affinity initiatives from Student Affairs and the removal of protected characteristics from being considered by Darden School of Business scholarships. Protected characteristics include identifying information such as a person’s race, ethnicity, religion, age and disability.
The Justice Department requires these quarterly reports under the University’s October agreement, which the University signed to terminate ongoing investigations into DEI practices. The reports are intended to demonstrate the University’s “good faith efforts” to comply with federal civil rights law, and the University is required to submit these reports through December 2028.
Here is a look at changes made across multiple divisions and schools since the second compliance report, as outlined in the June 30 report.
School of Continuing and Professional Studies
The SCPS — which provides many online programs for working or transfer students — has eliminated diversity-related language in faculty reviews. The review guide includes procedures for faculty performance reviews and reappointments, according to the June 30 report, and it previously included language “seeking to build a more diverse workforce.”
“Those references have been removed, and SCPS does not consider any protected characteristic in the evaluation of faculty members in line with U.Va. policy,” the June 30 report reads.
School of Education and Human Development
The June 30 report outlines changes made for faculty hiring in the Education School. Previously, according to the report, the School required faculty to show “explicit evidence of skills and experiences related to diversity and of advancing understanding and outcomes for underrepresented groups.” The report states that requirement has been removed from all job postings for the School — these new requirements now align with University policy that no hiring member of the University may consider an employee’s protected characteristics.
Further, the Education School eliminated its DEI programs and activities. The School had at least three programs offered under the University Office of DEI, which the Board of Visitors dissolved in March 2025. According to the June 30 report, the School’s programs under the Office of DEI — the BIPOC Alumni Student Mentoring Program, the DEI Collective Learning Series and the Diversify It! Reading Challenge — are no longer offered by the Education School.
29 News reported in October that the webpage for the BIPOC mentorship program was altered to say the program was created with BIPOC students “in mind.” The program’s original webpage said it aimed to “improve BIPOC undergraduates’ program experiences, career opportunities and retention through pairing these learners with alumni mentors.” The DEI Collective Learning Series was a monthly program run by the Education School to encourage faculty, students and staff to read, watch, listen, reflect and write on a variety of topics related to diversity.
Finally, according to the University Library website, the Diversify It! Reading Challenge encouraged students to read themed books each month, and in return, students received stamps on their challenge card. One example was from February, when the theme encouraged students to check out books written by Black authors.
School of Engineering and Applied Science
The June 30 report states that the Engineering School no longer implements goals to hire candidates on the “basis of protected characteristics.” For the admission of students, the School has eliminated its goals to increase the diversity of its applicant pool, and it no longer tracks the percentages of “underrepresented minorities.”
Division for Student Affairs
Student Affairs has “established and documented” its staff hiring and promotion procedures, according to the June 30 report. This applies to roles for “advertising positions, establishing hiring committees and evaluating staff,” and the report states that Student Affairs’ policy requires all hiring and promotion practices to align with federal antidiscrimination laws.
Regarding its student resources, the report states that Student Affairs will conduct a review of its alumni mentoring network to ensure events and mentoring opportunities comply with civil rights law.
McIntire School of Commerce
The School of Commerce made adjustments to its hiring practices, like the Engineering School and the Education School. McIntire has implemented a staff hiring rubric, according to the June 30 compliance report, which “facilitates objective assessments across candidates” and emphasizes that protected characteristics may not be considered in the hiring process. The School’s faculty hiring rubric was also revised to eliminate any requirement that a faculty member’s research or goals relate to DEI. Like the staff hiring rubric, the faculty hiring rubric for the School states protected characteristics cannot be utilized in the hiring process.
For undergraduate admissions to the School, a guidance document has been created to provide “detailed and clear criteria” for how admissions officers should evaluate students based on their “academic performance, honors, achievements, activities and essay responses.” The document states that protected characteristics cannot be evaluated in admissions, according to the June 30 report.
University President Scott Beardsley certified and signed the June 30 report to the Justice Department, making it the second report he signed since assuming office Jan. 1. The University is required to submit quarterly reports through December 2028, and another report is expected to be released later this year.
For more information regarding changes the University has made to comply with federal civil rights law, visit The Cavalier Daily’s website for reporting on the first and second compliance reports.
Lauren Seeliger is a news editor of the 137th term and enjoys covering U.Va. Health and University governance. Lauren is a fourth-year Behavioral Neuroscience student from Fairfield, Connecticut.
Read More
General Assembly passes 11th-hour budget — what does it mean for the University?
By Luca Bailey | YesterdayThe General Assembly approved a two-year, $205 billion spending plan for the Commonwealth June 29.
U.Va. Health launches Heart and Vascular Institute
By Michael Racz | 2 days agoU.Va. Health launched its Heart and Vascular Institute in May in hopes of creating a heart and vascular clinical care structure across the U.Va. Health system to improve patient care and outcomes.
Spanberger signs Right to Contraception Act, Student Health says law does not change existing services
By Vrinda Vashisht | 2 days agoSwensen said that U.Va. Health already provides comprehensive contraceptive services and will continue to do so.
