Last Friday, the Legislative Audit Bureau delivered an audit to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee which reviewed certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities at the University of Wisconsin system and select state agencies. The audit was requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee last May and found that certain Wisconsin state agencies and the University of Wisconsin system have failed to track millions of dollars they spent on DEI initiatives, making it difficult to determine the effectiveness of these efforts.

Auditors found that neither the UW System Board of Regents nor UW System Administration required schools to define DEI, leaving them to launch their own individualized initiatives. Overall, auditors determined the system spent about $40 million on offices with duties connected to DEI, $12 million on salaries for positions with DEI job duties, and $8 million in estimated costs for working on certain DEI activities listed in strategic plans and DEI plans. The report also noted that some of those costs may overlap, and others may not necessarily be related to DEI.

UW System President Jay Rothman believes the numbers provided in the audit are old, as the UW System has been working to reduce DEI positions on campuses since they reached a deal with the Legislature last session to focus positions and funding more toward individual student success. Still, Legislative Republicans, including Joint Legislative Audit Committee Co-Chair, Senator Eric Wimberger, noted the millions of dollars spent on DEI initiatives with little or nothing to show for it.

On Wednesday, Senator Eric Wimberger and Representative Robert Wittke, co-chairs of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, issued a statement announcing a public hearing next Wednesday, April 23 to discuss the contents of the DEI audits.