UW professor: ‘I would not be hired’ today under university’s new DEI rules

This story is part of Fox News Digital’s investigative series Campus Radicals. Get the full series here.

A University of Washington professor went on a rampage on the college walls. strict diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements for new hires and a teacher performance rubric that includes a dashboard measuring the DEI strategy used to evaluate potential teacher performance.

Stuart Reges, non-tenured professor at the UW Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and engineeringsaid he would not have been hired under the strict requirements of the DEI hire, despite his academic achievements at the university.

“You have to say you have extensive knowledge of DEI to get a high rating on all of this,” Reges told Fox News Digital. “The funny thing is, I’m convinced I wouldn’t get hired if I applied today. There’s just no way, even though I won the Distinguished Teaching Award here at the university.”

Stuart Reges, a professor at the University of Washington, blasted the school for its diversity requirements for new faculty applications. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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The University of Washington’s listing for an associate professor of school psychology position includes a mandatory “diversity statement” for all applicants, signifying a commitment to “the university’s commitment to racial equity.”

“A one-page diversity statement describing your identity, positionality, experience, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and your alignment with the APA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Framework,” the job offer states. “Additionally, describe your teaching and learning philosophy, including how your work will strengthen the College of Education’s commitment to racial equity and social justice.”

Seattle Red radio host Jason Rantz also blasted the university’s hiring policy, saying “this application process makes it easier to discriminate against conservatives, which is precisely why you won’t hear far-left professors speaking out,” in his recent op-ed.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Washington in March 2025. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)

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“The university does not seek diverse thought; it imposes a monoculture of approved political views,” Rantz added.

In addition to the mandatory declaration on diversity in applications, the professor explained that a scoring rubric intended to evaluate a potential professor’s performance includes a section titled “Diversity,” ranking applicants on a scale from poor to excellent.

A “poor” rating describes the professor showing “little evidence of potential to contribute to the UW Diversity Plan“.

“I’ve known some very talented professors who left because of that kind of pressure and people who didn’t even want to apply,” Reges said. “I think a lot of graduate students who might have wanted a career in teaching kind of ask themselves: Why bother?”

The scoring rubric used to rate prospective University of Washington professors. (Stuart Reges)

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“I mean, look at all the crap you have to deal with,” Reges added. “Basically, you have to make a statement that will make them happy by saying the things you’re going to do.”

The publicly funded University of Washington’s commitment to “challenge” itself to implement DEI policies calls into question its alignment with the president. Donald TrumpThe January executive order titled: “President Donald J. Trump protects civil rights and merit-based opportunities by ending illegal IEDs. »

“Many companies and universities use DEI as an excuse for biased and illegal employment practices and illegal admissions preferences, ignoring the fact that DEI’s rhetoric and core ideas promote inter-group hostility and authoritarianism,” the executive order reads.

The University of Washington evaluates faculty using a rubric that scores faculty based on diversity. (Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

In March, the US Department of EducationThe Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has launched investigations into a number of universities for “racially exclusionary practices in educational programs and activities.”

The University of Washington was among the universities under investigation.

“The University of Washington does not view diversity and access as opposed to merit and excellence, and we remain committed to providing access to excellence for all,” a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Our hiring practices follow state and federal laws to ensure race is not a factor in hiring, and the UW has acted proactively when such a violation is known.”

“University schools, colleges and departments have broad discretion in their recruiting practices, but all must follow state and federal laws,” the spokesperson added.

“The College of Education research referenced in a recent blog post by a local commenter was consistent with these laws, but to avoid any ambiguity or misinterpretation, we are rescinding it and providing additional guidance on hiring practices before it is republished,” the spokesperson continued. “We are also looking more broadly at hiring practices to ensure they comply with state and federal laws.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House but did not receive a response.

Preston Mizell is a writer for Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston