Dr. Shaun Harper
The hearing, titled "Restoring Excellence: The Case Against DEI," came amid a national wave of anti-DEI legislation and executive orders that have dismantled programs across numerous college campuses. Harper's testimony directly challenged what he characterized as "baseless lies, misinformation, disinformation, and exaggerations about DEI."
"All of this destruction is the result of unsubstantiated claims about places [opponents] have never been," Harper told lawmakers. "As a citizen and scholar, I highly value and insist on evidence. As a matter of justice, the burden of proof must be on those who make erroneous, highly consequential cases against DEI."
Harper, who founded USC's Race and Equity Center, emphasized the importance of evidence-based policymaking rather than what he described as "political assaults on values that are fundamental to our nation and its educational institutions."
Throughout his testimony, Harper cited more than 50 years of consistent research confirming the educational benefits of DEI in American higher education. He referenced multiple peer-reviewed studies published in respected academic journals and books from university presses that document positive effects for all students, including white male collegians.
Harper highlighted data showing how engagement in DEI-related activities improves critical thinking skills, cognitive gains, and prejudice reduction. He also pointed out that DEI programs play crucial roles in campus safety and crisis response.
"DEI professionals play pivotal roles in campus recovery efforts in the aftermath of hate crimes and other tragedies," Harper noted, referencing the 2017 white nationalist rally at the University of Virginia. "In the absence of DEI professionals, it is unlikely that students, faculty, and staff on the Charlottesville campus would have received the necessary recovery resources."
A significant portion of Harper's testimony focused on refuting common claims made by DEI opponents. Using federal data and his own research findings, Harper methodically addressed five major allegations:
- White male discrimination: Harper cited data from his National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates survey, administered to 2.5 million students, which does not show high rates of white male respondents reporting routine experiences with racial discrimination.
- Hiring practices: Department of Education statistics show that two-thirds of full-time professors at degree-granting institutions are white, with whites holding 74% of full professor positions. Additionally, 75% of campus management positions are held by white professionals.
- Curriculum concerns: Interviews with students, including conservatives, have not supported claims that "wokeness" pervades college curriculums. Instead, many students reported their courses focus too little on DEI-related topics.
- Accreditation issues: Harper found no substantial evidence that accreditors have become overly focused on DEI metrics or unfairly punished institutions for failing to meet DEI commitments.
- Budget allegations: Harper contextualized DEI spending, noting that even at the University of Michigan—cited by critics as having a large DEI infrastructure—such spending represents approximately 0.2% of the university's operating budget, with DEI staff accounting for just 0.5% of employees.
Harper warned legislators that dismantling DEI programs could have serious safety implications for college campuses. Citing FBI data, he noted that between 2018 and 2022, Jewish people were targets of 78.4% of religiously motivated hate crimes at educational institutions, while Black people were targets of 64.4% of racially motivated hate crimes on campuses.
"In the absence of DEI professionals, policies, and protocols, who will help campuses recover when extremists do elsewhere what they did at UVA?" Harper asked. "Who will create the educational conditions that protect white undergraduate men from being recruited and radicalized?"
Harper concluded his testimony by referencing the concept of "Inclusive Excellence" introduced by the Association of American Colleges and Universities two decades ago. He argued that truly excellent institutions enhance democracy by expanding access, teaching complete historical truths, and preparing graduates to maximize the benefits of diversity in the workforce.
"Any effort, legislative or otherwise, that aims to pursue excellence in U.S. higher education without DEI will ultimately fail because it is inconsistent with what 50 years of research shows and because it is incongruent with values that are fundamental to our multicultural democracy," Harper said.
The hearing comes as colleges and universities across the country continue to navigate state laws restricting DEI programming. Many institutions have closed offices, changed program names, or restructured services to comply with new regulations while attempting to maintain support for diverse student populations.
