The University of Wisconsin system and several state agencies failed to specifically track spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Wisconsin’s Legislative Audit Bureau (WLAB) recently revealed.

The audits covered FY 2023-2024. As a result of this lack of tracking, WLAB, a state government agency, was forced to estimate what the institutions spent on these programs.

WLAB stated in its audit of University of Wisconsin institutions that it estimates the system spent $12.5 million on salaries for employees with job titles relating to DEI. Additionally, WLAB estimated the university spent $40.2 million “on offices with duties pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” However, WLAB clarified that not all of those funds were specifically dedicated to DEI.

A challenge WLAB noted in its reports was that both the agencies and the university had overlapping costs, making it difficult to calculate exactly what was spent on DEI programs.

WLAB also found that agencies failed to consistently report to the Department of Administration (DOA) efforts to correct noncompliance. However, simultaneously, the DOA did not consistently require the agencies to take action on such issues. Additionally, WLAB found that “most agencies” did not submit to DOA all annual required progress reports pertaining to DEI from 2021 to 2023.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a web page dedicated to “Halloween cultural awareness,” which states that students should avoid “racist, crude, or culturally insensitive” costumes. (University of Wisconsin)

The audits were ordered by state Republicans who launched a comprehensive review of spending on equity programs in May 2024, according to The Associated Press. This follows comments made by Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in late 2023 in which he vowed to end DEI initiatives. The move aligns with efforts by the Trump administration to get DEI out of all facets of American life, including higher education.