- The review of UW-Madison’s diversity office found excessive spending and atypical salary boosts.
- The report will likely fuel further debate about the value of DEI programs
- UW-Madison made several changes to increase financial oversight and accountability of unit leaders.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s chief diversity officer made a series of poor financial decisions, including approving substantial salary increases and authorizing excessive travel spending, according to newly released records that shed light on the employee’s demotion earlier this year.
The decisions by LaVar Charleston throughout 2023 and 2024 coincided with a period of intense scrutiny by state Republican lawmakers over the value of campus diversity offices. In one of the most brazen examples cited in the report, Charleston approved bonuses for 85% of his employees just three days after UW leaders struck a sweeping budget deal with legislative leaders that had stalled for months over DEI.
Between 2022 and 2024, the department’s budget increased by 59%, from $7.9 million to $12.6 million in 2024. A large portion of that came from increases to salaries over that timespan, including a near tripling of student wages. Charleston himself made $364,207 in the role, receiving a more than $50,000 raise from the year prior.
The letter also states that Charleston, a professor in the university’s education school, “lacked important documentation to support many of these decisions,” which included pay raises as well as bonuses. He was removed from his DEI role in January as the probe got underway. While Charleston is no longer “vice chancellor for inclusive excellence,” he is still employed by the school, albeit at a lower salary.
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