Mark Perry, an economics professor at the University of Michigan at Flint and a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, recently calculated that his university has nearly 100 diversity administrators, more than 25 of them earning over $100,000 a year (see chart below). Collectively, they cost the University of Michigan, with fringe benefits, about $11 million annually. Adding in other costs such as travel and office space expenses, the total cost rises to perhaps $14 million, or $300 for every enrolled student at the U of M in the fall semester 2017.
My guess is that 50 years ago the number of such diversity employees was zero. A second guess is that if the number went to zero again overnight, there would not be a major change in the personal or biological characteristics of students or faculty. For every bigot who thinks “I don’t want to hire him because he is black,” there are several other persons who say “to promote equal opportunity, diversity and justice we should give an advantage to the black (female, gay, Hispanic, etc.) applicant.” Faculty survey data from the National Higher Education Research Institute back this claim up.
If I am about right, by eliminating all diversity officers the U of M could in time eliminate this $14 million expense and lower tuition by $300 for every student or offer $1,200 more financial aid (tuition discounting) for the 25 % of students with the lowest ability to pay. The U of M could become a bit more affordable for those challenged by its already very high fees.
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