An audit of Wisconsin’s state government and Universities of Wisconsin (UW) system has revealed what many taxpayers long suspected: rampant spending on radical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the expense of academics and common sense.

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee recently met to review the findings. Encouragingly, DEI was found to have little foothold in the broader state government. But the same cannot be said for our university system, particularly UW-Madison.

The audit exposed a litany of absurd DEI projects funded by taxpayer dollars. For example, UW-Madison’s Dance Department embarked on an initiative to “decolonize” its curriculum and “create equity among cultural dance forms.” Rather than focus on technique or artistry, taxpayer-funded workshops focused on racial ideology.

In another instance, the Graduate School hosted a workshop titled “Niceness is Not Anti-Racism: How White Aspiring Allies Can (and Must) Step Up Their Game,” designed to push white students to think more deeply about their “allyship” — implying that merely being respectful is insufficient without active political engagement.

UW also offered segregated LGBTQ+ housing options during its summer residential programs, separating students by identity rather than encouraging community among all participants.

Not even scientific disciplines escaped politicization. The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences established an “Equity Alliance” that meets every two weeks to discuss “decolonization” and “anti-racism.” Meanwhile, another program studied COVID-19 death rates based not on public health metrics, but on the gender of governors — an absurd use of academic resources.

Altogether, the UW System spent over $40 million in fiscal year 2023–2024 on offices with duties tied to DEI. It employs an estimated 170 DEI staffers, costing taxpayers $12 million in salaries alone. Despite this, UW leaders are asking the legislature — and the people of Wisconsin — for over $850 million more in the upcoming state budget.It’s clear that Governor Evers’ 2019 Executive Order embedding DEI into government agencies and universities is costing taxpayers tens of millions while promoting programs that divide, not unite. Thankfully, with leadership at the federal and state level committed to rooting out DEI, there’s hope Wisconsin can reclaim its universities for education — not indoctrination.