Report: UConn approving DEI grants, prompting ‘student activism’ accusations 

The University of Connecticut is spending taxpayer money on internal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) grants – including ones to make marine science more diverse, the College Fix reports. 

Among the grants approved this year by the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is a project titled “Making Marine Sciences a More Diverse and Welcoming Workplace.” 

The proposal by Professor David Lund includes $6,000 in funding to offset “non-traditional travel expenses for LGBTQ+ students” and students with disabilities. 

This grant is part of an internal funding initiative that supports “projects that align with goals in the CLAS Strategic Plan, including research, scholarship, teaching, diversity efforts, and outreach,” the school’s website says. 

The proposal says LGBTQ+ and disabled students often face “additional logistics and expenses” associated with matters such as bathroom access, accommodations and travel documentation, since they may feel uncomfortable “sharing a room, which is a common practice used by many graduate students to reduce expenses.” 

University spokesperson Stephanie Reitz defended the travel funds, arguing they don’t violate civil rights law. 

“As you’ll see, the proposal references published research independent of UConn that supports its statements,” she said in an email to The Fix, adding the university has “continually worked to ensure we are in compliance with Title VI.” 

However, critics describe these grants as political activism masquerading as education. 

“I hate slush funds like this UConn racket,” said Drexel University business professor Stanley Ridgley. “Funding student activism is what a lot of these schools do, Bryn Mawr College among them – it’s one of the worst.” 

“They’ll mask ‘student activism’ by calling it ‘leadership,’” he added. “Wherever you find a non-business ‘leadership’ course, look really hard at it – it’s likely how to generate activism on campus and elsewhere.” 

UConn shelled out $76,125 in internal DEI grants during the 2024-2025 school year, the report revealed. 

This included an $8,000 grant for a project titled “Advancing Mathematics Teaching Through Equity-Minded Inquiry and Transformative Teaching.” 

“Many have long considered math to be a neutral subject matter, assuming that teaching the content of mathematics does not play a role in perpetuating racism or advancing educational inequity,” the grant proposal argued. “However, data from across the nation suggests a more complex and troubling reality.”