Faculty members voted to approve a proposal to remove references to affirmative action and other suggestions of race-based preferential treatment from the University’s Non-Discrimination Statement and the Rules and Procedures of the Faculty. Instead, the language will center the University’s current commitment to “Equity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity.” This proposal was passed at the faculty meeting held on April 7, with only a few opposing votes.
The removals could also extend to other University statements and policies. “It is also appropriate to remove references to ‘affirmative action’ from University statements and policies pursuant to Executive Order 14173 (“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”),” a footnote on the proposal reads.
In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled to dismantle affirmative action for college admissions on the basis that “many universities have for too long wrongly concluded that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned, but the color of their skin.”
More recently, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies at universities have come under attack by the Trump administration in a slew of executive orders. Critics of DEI contend that it poses a threat to merit-based opportunities. Princeton, however, has remained committed to DEI. In his State of the University Letter in 2025, President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 wrote that the annual DEI report displays “the important work of students, faculty, staff and alumni to build community and support success and belonging at the University.”
The proposed revision to remove references to affirmative action is intended to clarify ”the University’s commitments and accurately defines current faculty search practices,” according to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.
Provision IV.J of the Rules and Procedures of the Faculty, which is currently entitled “Affirmative Action,” will be amended to “Equity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity.”
Language that currently stresses “broadening the Faculty to include more women and minority group members” when considering tenure track positions will be changed to highlight the importance of “identifying candidates who will contribute to the University’s strategic excellence and expand the curriculum.”
Previously, while each department had a search officer responsible in part for safeguarding affirmative action, the search officer will now work with the Dean of the Faculty “to review and expand candidate pools, where appropriate.”
Two full sub-clauses will also be removed: sub-clause (1)(a), which states that the search officer should track “availability data concerning women and minorities” and investigate possible reasons if applicants from these groups are “significantly less than the data would lead one to expect,” and sub-clause (1)(b), which states that the search officer should “review files” of women and minority applicants who have been rejected and “determine whether any might merit further consideration.”
In the Office of the Dean of the Faculty’s Non-Discrimination Statement, a reference to “equal opportunity and affirmative action regulations and laws,” will be amended so that the section of the sentence that states “and affirmative action” will be struck out.
The statement also currently refers to non-discrimination on the basis of “national or ethnic origin.” In the new statement, the word “ethnic” will be struck out and replaced by subsequent mentions of “ancestry” and “genetic information.” The new statement will read that the University does not discriminate on the basis of “national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information.”
The revised Non-Discrimination Statement will also include new references to Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin “in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance” and Title VII makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Currently, the statement only refers to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally-funded education programs and activities, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects certain “qualified” individuals from discrimination based on their disability.
The Non-Discrimination Statement will also include a sentence stating that “inquiries about the application of Title VI or Title IX and supporting regulations may also be directed to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education.” On Tuesday March 11, the Trump administration slashed half of the Office for Civil Rights amidst widespread layoffs.
The statement will also add a new reference to non-discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy and related conditions.”
According to Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Rayna Truelove, the changes are meant for “creating a fair and global search process [when hiring], as such, ensuring that there is not any particular preference given to any particular protected characteristic or or identity.”
Nikki Han is an assistant News editor and a contributing Features writer. She runs the Faculty, Graduate Students, and Alumni coverage area.
Sena Chang is a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She typically covers campus and community activism, the state of higher education, and alumni news.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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