WILMINGTON — A new report from UNCW details more removals and alterations leadership have made to comply with the UNC System’s 2024 equality policy, showing the university is continuing to dig deeper into ensuring compliance.
READ MORE: UNCW convenes DEI compliance committee, business largely to be conducted out of public eye
After the UNC System implemented a policy banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices and affirming institutional neutrality last year, UNCW eliminated its Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and removed leadership of its four cultural centers, as detailed in a Sept. 1 report. This year’s report shows UNCW has gone further, retailoring a mentorship program, “realigning” private scholarships and making some course content optional.
UNCW also plans to compile data on each of the cultural centers — Upperman African American Cultural Center, Centro Hispano, Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Center and the Asian Heritage Cultural Center — to ensure they are a boon to student success for all attendees.
The report shows these new modifications were discussed by the DEI subcommittee, which met twice over the past month, though largely in closed session away from public observation.
The subcommittee was another UNC System mandate; on June 17, the UNC System Board of Governors’ Chair Wendy Murphy and governance committee chair Alex Mitchell issued a memo mandating each university form one from members of its trustees, to ensure each university’s compliance actions had actually rid the school of DEI. UNCW’s subcommittee members include NHC Commissioner Dane Scalise, Pender County Commissioner Jimmy Tate, business development consultant Perry Chappell, former LabCorp executive Traci Butler and Student Government Association President Skyler Stein.
The subcommittee approved of the Sept. 1 compliance report. It notes discussions included guidance on required classes and establishing a “structure process to collect and analyze data regarding the impact” of the four cultural centers, now referred to as “student success centers.”
The subcommittee wanted to ensure facilities were informed of a student’s ability to choose an alternative assignment based on equality concerns and still deserved impartial treatment. The report notes this message was planned for dissemination to faculty in the first weeks of school.
According to the report, the university conducted a comprehensive review of all course content and confirmed students were not required to affirm or profess belief in any DEI-related concept. This review included major-specific courses and general education requirements.
General education requirements are split into different categories, which students having to satisfy a number of credits in each category. One category is “Living in our Diverse Nation,” which the report acknowledges could be confusing given the use of the word “diverse.” Though, with over 90 courses that could satisfy the requirement, the university noted students were not compelled to take any particular course that promotes DEI-related content; however, the name of the category is still under review.
This was a particular concern for required courses like UNI 101, what’s called a first-year seminar to get students acquainted with college life.
The university did make changes to UNI 101 content, which includes video content exploring “evolving interpretations of the nation’s founding principles and significant historic events.” According to the report, the videos could be seen as requiring affirmation of its viewpoints depending on how it’s presented; so, instead, these videos are designated as optional ahead of the 2025-2026 school year.
The largest amount of changes occurred with the student success centers. Though retaining their names — Upperman African American Cultural Center, Centro Hispano, Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Center and the Asian Heritage Cultural Center — they are barred from organizing events dedicated to one demographic or advocating certain beliefs.
As a result of the DEI subcommittee’s direction, the Student Affairs division is cooperating with the Office of Institutional Research and Planning to develop data collection strategies on the centers. Metrics include:
- Student participation
- Program effectiveness
- Student satisfaction
- Sense of belonging
- Retention and persistence
Metrics already known by the university show the number of events hosted by the centers dropped to 126 in 2024-2025 from 262 the prior year, before the equality policy was implemented.
The report also details that center programs based around activism, advocacy or certain political outlooks were removed from center programming. Port City Daily asked the university to identify the programs; no response was received by press.
However, the report does provide details of one program, previously overseen by Centro Hispano. A mentorship program, MI CASA — standing for Mentors Initiating Community Action, Support and Advocacy — previously focused on prospective Hispanic students. In December 2023, the program received an $87,000 grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment to provide opportunities to tour Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions throughout the state. It also provided funds for laptops given to program mentees to close technology gaps.
It’s now being referred to as the “Precollege Mentoring Program” and is overseen by Academic Affairs, not Centro Hispano.
PCD tried to reach the director of the program, who remains in the position under Academic Affairs, and several former students involved in the program but did not get a response.
The report also notes the Hispanic-targeted recruitment program Eleva Tu Futuro, along with Coastal Roots, aimed at minority groups, was eliminated.
“There are now no recruitment programs solely for one student group or identity,” the report states.
UNCW has not uploaded demographic data for its fall 2025 cohort, though data trends show the university continues to have one of the lowest population across the UNC System for students of color. White students have made up 76% of enrollment since 2020, while Black students have remained at 6% and Hispanic students have enrolled at either 7% or 8%, according to UNCW demographic data. Compared to the UNC System as a whole, white students make up 55%, Black students are at 20% and Hispanic students follow at almost 8%.
Other changes in the report include shifting private scholarships formerly overseen by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion to align with the university’s commitment to institutional neutrality — “while maintaining broad access for students and protecting integrity of donor intent.”
Port City Daily asked the university to explain further but did not get a response by press.
Reach journalist Brenna Flanagan at brenna@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
