Tabbye Chavous, PhD, vice provost for equity & inclusion and chief diversity officer at the University of Michigan (U-M), has responded critically to a recent New York Times article on the university’s DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts in an open letter posted in the Michigan Chronicle. She contended the article is riddled with inaccuracies, biases, and a lack of evidence-based reporting, and frames DEI initiatives inaccurately.
Chavous pointed out the article’s apparent confirmation bias and likened it to a novice student’s paper, where a predetermined thesis drives selective evidence gathering. She described how the journalist disregarded U-M’s detailed fact-checking of over 130 points, instead choosing to highlight erroneous claims. One example she gave is the untrue assertion that computer science students must take “microaggressions quizzes,” a claim Chavous stated was factually untrue.
The article also misrepresents DEI’s scope at U-M, Chavous explained. Contrary to suggestions that DEI efforts are solely race-focused, she noted that U-M has invested heavily in initiatives like the GoBlue Guarantee, a program that offers financial aid to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, especially those in rural areas. Chavous wrote that the article’s narrow portrayal of DEI’s racial focus ignored how it also supports broad socioeconomic and identity-based diversity.
Chavous emphasized that the reporter’s choice of sources, such as the politically-driven Heritage Foundation, skewed the narrative further. The article, she said, relied on unobjective sources and overlooked key data, including DEI’s positive impact on the enrollment and retention of underrepresented students, including Black, Latino, and Native American students.
Additionally, Dr. Chavous expressed frustration with the article’s omission of her qualifications and gendered language used in describing her. Despite her extensive background as a faculty member and administrator, she noted that her credentials were ignored, with the article instead focusing on her marital status and personal demeanor — an approach she called sexist and unprofessional.
Dr. Chavous concluded by reaffirming U-M’s commitment to DEI, stating that the university will persist in its efforts to create a more inclusive environment. “Despite attempts to undermine these efforts,” she argued, “DEI is essential for fostering a more equitable campus and society.”
