It's difficult to tell where the initiatives are coming from because the willingness to write and accept empty claims of relevance appears to exist at all levels and stages in the process. (For both DEI and "questionably applied number theory.") If they are getting that little buy-in from even the administrators I can't imagine how they get there in the first place.

It's like the same people put application and social consciousness first in their RFPs and then turn around to accept invisible fig leaves during evaluation... Who's getting fooled, the government? Politicians? The public?