The University’s fourth compliance report — certified Wednesday by University President Scott Beardlsey — describes the University’s continued “good faith efforts” to ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination policy in accordance with the University’s Oct. 22 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The majority of the report focuses on the Division for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity. Many staff previously housed under the University's Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion moved to being housed within DCEEO following the Board of Visitors’ March 2025 vote to dissolve the Office. According to the report, hiring has frozen for the Division since its inception following the March decision, and all faculty recruitment, programming and partnerships in the Division comply with federal anti-discrimination law.
While the initial Dec. 29, 2025 compliance report focused on institution-wide changes such as dissolving the DEI office, removing DEI language and programming writ large and changing websites and communication, further reports — including the most recent one — have delved into school-specific changes. The second report released in March focused on the Office of Student Affairs, and the June 30 report included changes to the School of Education, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies and the McIntire School of Commerce.
Wednesday’s report also includes granular changes in the School of Law, primarily regarding new formal documentation of anti-discrimination compliant policies having to do with recruiting, promotions and admissions. Other schools mentioned in the report include SCPS, Engineering, McIntire and the School of Architecture.
Lastly, Wednesday’s report acknowledges that the second quarterly report signed March 30 asserted that the Medical Center would no longer participate in the Health Equality Index associated with the Human Rights Campaign. The HEI is a national benchmark tool to assess healthcare facilities’ inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients and employees.
However, Wednesday’s report clarified that due to HEI’s biennial data collection, prior survey responses from 2025 were included in HEI’s 2026 report. Accordingly, the Medical Center contacted HRC to remove its submission and will not participate in further HEI surveys. In years prior, the University had celebrated its achievement of a perfect 100 score on this benchmark, recognizing its work in providing equitable treatment and employment opportunities to LGBTQ+ communities.
Wednesday’s report clarifies that the reported information was voluntarily provided, and the review is “not designed as an investigation into individual intent or to determine legal liability for past actions.” Rather, it aims to take a forward-looking approach, identifying current procedures and adjusting for compliance. The report includes only adopted, “formalized policies,” and it does not detail changes still in progress.
The report was added to the University Counsel website Friday.
The Division for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity
DCEEO formed following the Board’s vote to dissolve the University’s Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships, and many employees of the dissolved entity moved to be housed under DCEEO in the months following. To date, no new employees have been hired to DCEEO, and the report confirms that all programming under this new office is anti-discrimination policy compliant.
“[DCEEO] facilitates select, community-focused programming and primarily provides executive oversight and approval of the budgets, strategic plans and communications for both the Center for Community Partnerships and the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights,” the report reads.
The dissolved DEI office previously maintained a subscription with an external platform to offer learning modules for students, faculty and staff “concerning topics on race, sex and other protected characteristics.” According to the report, this subscription was discontinued.
DCEEO is an umbrella division working in collaboration with the Office for EOCR, the Office of the Vice President for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity and the Center for Community Partnerships. Regarding EOCR, the report states that DCEEO undertook a comprehensive review of University policy and training materials. It found these materials clearly mandate all recruitment and hiring decisions are made without regard to protected characteristics.
DCEEO also updated online and promotional materials for its “Community MLK Celebration,” among other initiatives, to ensure programming is open to all. DCEEO does not partner with organizations that limit membership or programming based on protected characteristics, the report asserts.
Lastly, EOCR has continued to review its actions and ensure compliance with Title IX and Title VI, working to improve how it responds to reports and complaints.
“This [review] has included changes to procedural steps to reduce the timeframes of formal complaint resolutions, redirecting resources to ensure that prompt outreach and support is provided in response to all reports through dedicated case response roles, and revising its policies and procedures when necessary, and at least annually in accordance with state law,” the report reads.
School of Law
The changes the report details to the School of Law primarily center around the formalization of policies to ensure protected characteristics are not taken into account in hiring, admissions, recruiting and programming decisions. Additionally, the report states the School eliminated its Community Engagement Office.
According to the report, admissions policies are race-neutral, and the School only hosts and attends recruiting events “that are genuinely welcoming and open to all students.” The report confirms the School’s Community Fellows program complies with federal anti-discrimination laws in its selection processes, and its social media is now regulated by documented policies ensuring compliance and marketing to all students.
Also in the vein of formally documented policy, the report states the Law School’s rules regarding raises and promotions have been documented and certified as complying with anti-discrimination law, and the School also amended policies for faculty and tenure-track faculty explicitly reminding decision-makers not to consider protected characteristics. Further, individuals involved in these selection processes must complete annual non-discrimination training.
The report claims that job-posting criteria in the School’s Office of Private Practice has formalized its policies to require positions and employers that it advertises are open to all students. Its Clerkship Committee — which supports student efforts to secure judicial clerkships — has also introduced formal policy that mandates committee members follow non-discriminatory policy.
Many Law students are involved in the production of independent, academic journals associated with the School, including the Journal of Law & Politics, the Virginia Environmental Law Journal and the Virginia Journal of Criminal Law. The report asserts the journals associated with the School have committed to following anti-discrimination law.
“The journals associated with the School of Law have been and continue to be independent organizations. All journals have committed to complying with the University’s anti-discrimination policies and procedures for all student organizations,” the report reads.
The School of Continuing and Professional Studies
The one-paragraph blurb in Wednesday’s report on SCPS states the School established guidelines to ensure communications “are appropriately vetted” and “conform to the University’s Notice on Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity.”
The School of Engineering and Applied Science
Engineering has stopped student recruitment efforts targeted at particular protected characteristic groups, and it no longer sponsors events or partners with external organizations that focus on these characteristics, the report states.
McIntire School of Commerce
While changes to the undergraduate segment of McIntire were detailed in previous reports, Wednesday’s report includes changes to graduate admission guidance in McIntire. According to the report, guidance has been implemented to ensure applicant reviewers make decisions rooted in non-discriminatory policy.
“[The new] document provides detailed criteria for evaluating candidates based on their potential for success in their chosen program, academic record and work experience,” the report reads. “The guidance also reminds reviewers that they may not consider protected characteristics in the admissions process.”
Medical Center
The University’s March report stated that the Medical Center revoked its participation in the HEI associated with HRC. However, the timelines for submission and publication of the HEI 2026 report — a survey conducted in 2025 formed the basis of the 2026 report — resulted in the University’s inclusion in the report, even after it stated it would not participate. Thus, Wednesday’s report said that the Medical Center “promptly contacted HRC to remove [the Medical Center] from the HRC website,” and the Medical Center will not participate in future HEI surveys.
Looking forward
Wednesday’s report concludes by reiterating that the review of compliant practices and policies across the University remains ongoing, with many schools and units currently under review. The report assures the University will continue to submit updates in the form of quarterly reports through Dec. 31, 2028, as agreed upon in its October 2025 agreement.
“This report reflects U.Va.’s good faith efforts to ensure compliance with federal antidiscrimination laws within the units reviewed to date,” Wednesday’s report concludes. “U.Va. continues to evaluate its policies and practices, implement additional revisions and engage constructively with [the Justice Department] as the Review progresses.”
Grace Little is a news editor for the 137th term. She is a third-year student from Dallas majoring in neuroscience and the interdisciplinary major in public policy, politics and media studies. She enjoys writing about the shifting landscape of higher education, and you can reach her at g.little@cavalierdaily.com.
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