Cornell renames DEI office amid $1B funding standoff with Trump admin

Cornell University renamed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office on Friday as the school remains negotiating with the Trump administration to restore $1 billion in federal funding.

The Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives is now the Office of Academic Discovery and Impact (OADI), according to an internal school email on Aug. 1, The Cornell Daily Sun reports.

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The university has not publicly explained the reason for the name change, but the email says that the school was trying to “think strategically about who we are and how all students see us across campus.”

The university is in discussions with the Trump administration to restore $1 billion in federal funding, which was frozen in April. The administration halted the funds because of anti-Semitism and DEI concerns.

In March, the university removed DEI references from its website before restoring them a few days later.

“Cornell regrets any confusion caused by a recent clerical error in updating the Equal Education and Employment Opportunity Statement on our website,” a spokesman said at the time.

The Aug. 1 email also describes the office name change as “very exciting” and explains that the new office should provide support for “students from diverse backgrounds.”

“The new OADI emerged as a way for students to see themselves in our space be they first generation, low income, foster youth, Veterans, non-traditional, transfer, students from diverse backgrounds and/or any other student that finds space in our community,” the message reportedly states.

According to its website, the new office “serves as a centralized hub that provides academic and professional-development support and resources for students who participate in or are interested in participating in its signature programs, as well as any other students who are interested in taking advantage of its unique advising model.”

At the bottom of the page, the office provides a land acknowledgement and a link to the university’s “diversity initiatives” page.

[RELATED: DOJ memo targets DEI programs at federally-funded schools]

Syracuse University renamed its DEI office on July 31, without publicly explaining the reason for the move; the new center is focused on “People and Culture.”

On July 23, Middle Tennessee State University eliminated its DEI programming, including the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students, the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, and the Center for Fairness, Justice, and Equity.

Campus Reform has contacted Cornell University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.