Colleges Rebrand DEI Offices Amid Political Pressure and Funding Threats

First, Harvard University, then Notre Dame, Cornell, Ohio State, and the University of Michigan. Colleges are swiftly moving to close or rename their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, vital for ensuring equal opportunity. Since last January, 181 colleges have taken this step.

These changes often come quietly through mass emails, suggesting continuity despite the name changes. However, altering the names of these offices impacts the work they can accomplish. Colleges cite compliance with White House orders aimed at ending “wasteful government DEI programs” and restoring merit-based opportunity as reasons for replacing DEI with terms like engagement, community, and belonging.

The University of Alabama went further by ending two student-run magazines, deemed non-compliant with anti-discrimination guidance. Students are protesting, while experts argue it’s a First Amendment violation. With the first anniversary of these executive orders approaching, schools often quickly reaffirm commitment to their social justice missions following name changes.

University leaders, faculty, students, and alumni are urged to highlight the risks of renaming DEI offices. Non-compliance poses risks, such as the U.S. State Department’s proposal to cut research funding to 38 elite universities over perceived DEI hiring practices. Universities are being fined millions for equity-based hiring, despite their merit-based nature. Northwestern University paid $75 million to restore funding, while Columbia University paid $200 million.

Pressure has led some top administrators to resign, and others opt for renaming equity offices as a cost-saving measure. Despite this, many mistakenly believe that renaming doesn’t affect their commitment to equity missions. However, altering language can diminish the impact of social justice work. Institutions are dismantling infrastructure supporting social justice, violating historian Timothy Snyder’s 20 lessons from the 20th century for resisting tyranny.

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) recently announced renaming its Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity and Diversity to the Office of Engagement, focusing on internal and external community engagement. This oversimplification undermines the complex relationships needed for equity. As a community engagement scientist, the renaming signifies a loss. Language and naming are vital; they shape the mission of equity and justice, and changing them marks a shift away from these goals.