If you click on the homepage link for UNC Health’s Equity and Inclusion department, you now get a 404 'page not found' error.
That’s apparently because the page — and the department — have been removed, and replaced with the new Community Health and Engagement department.
According to UNC Health employees who shared internal communications with WHQR, UNC Health's human resources sent notices to department employees last week.
"We are excited to announce that your department will undergo a name change effective September 1, 2024," the notice read. "This name change reflects the evolution of the department and aligns with our goals and responsibilities."
The notices did not appear to specifically reference the UNC system or the Board of Governors. However, September 1 is the same date universities in the UNC System were given as a deadline by the Board of Governors to certify in detail how they had dismantled DEI on campus.
UNC Health has acknowledged that it is responding to the Board of Governors' policy change, effectively removing DEI positions and initiatives from the UNC system, but offered little detail.
At the beginning of August, UNC Health declined an interview request, and issued a brief statement:
UNC Health is following the new policy outlined by the board to ensure our policies align, but our main focus remains on our mission of improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. As part of that mission, we are committed to a culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging, including our teammates and patients.
The healthcare system has since declined to respond with specifics to subsequent questions, including what facilities and positions would be impacted, whether there would be reductions in force, and which initiatives and programs would be sunset under the policy.
On Tuesday, a UNC Health spokesperson issued another statement:
UNC Health has formed a new Community Health and Engagement Department to address gaps in health services access and delivery. The aim is to improve access to care and health literacy, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Given UNC Health’s statewide mission and the people and communities we serve across North Carolina, who come from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences, we are refocusing and investing in community health.
The department has three key focus areas: community health, health equity quality improvement, and outreach and support. The department also will lead teammate belonging and resource groups.
By comparison, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington offered more of a mixed bag when it came to transparency.
Last month, UNCW Chancellor Aswani Volety issued a press release, laying out the broad strokes of what ending DEI at UNCW would look like; the university later confirmed that over a dozen positions — including the university's chief DEI officer — were being removed, but that all employees had been relocated to new positions without an overall reduction in force. Following Volety's announcement, Dr. Christine Reed Davis, vice chancellor for student affairs, agreed to sit down to talk about the changes on campus.
Related: UNCW's vice chancellor of student affairs discusses the impacts of removing DEI from campus
However, Volety himself declined repeated interview requests to discuss DEI.
Now, it appears UNCW — and possibly other state universities — are under a gag order from the UNC system.
As the DEI removal process was rolled out, leading to a protest on campus, UNCW began directing all requests for comments and information to the UNC system itself. According to a UNCW spokesperson, this "decision originated at the UNC System," not at UNCW.
WHQR asked the UNC system's communications team if an interview could be arranged to discuss DEI issues. Without saying "no," directly, a spokesperson instead referenced the upcoming Board of Governors meeting, slated for Wednesday, September 11, when officials will review updates on the DEI removal process, presumably including UNC Health.
Editor's note: A UNC system spokesperson later denied there was a gag order, writing, "There is no gag order or directive. Some campuses have already released many details of their plans, others have not. Institutions are probably referring you here because we are coordinating the next step in the process."
In response to a request for clarification on the issue, UNCW walked back its original statement.
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Andrea Weaver wrote, "there was no directive to defer all questions to the System Office. Since they are receiving and reviewing the plans and their certifications, it made sense to direct inquiries about the plans to them for now. Once the plans are publicly available, UNCW will follow up with you about your questions."
