Franklin College rebrands diversity course, claims compliance
Franklin College in Indiana has changed the title of a required liberal arts course from 'Diversity Exploratory' to 'Comparative Perspectives.'
The change, announced on Sept. 16 in an article by The Franklin, affects the college’s exploratory curriculum that previously carried the diversity label.
Franklin College in Indiana has changed the title of a required liberal arts course from “Diversity Exploratory” to “Comparative Perspectives.”
The change, announced on Sept. 16 in an article by The Franklin, affects the college’s exploratory curriculum that previously carried the diversity label. Administrators say the move followed a legal review prompted by federal guidance.
Anna James, who teaches gender and sexuality in literature, told The Franklin that the change “does matter” for students, even if it appears to be just a wording shift.
Similarly, Emily Banks, who teaches African American literature, expressed concern that the government may soon target courses focused on slavery and race. In the same article, she told The Franklin that the change could turn into “something much worse and much larger.”
Federal limits on DEI practices began after the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague” letter in February. The letter instructed colleges that “discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible.”
Franklin College has previously embraced DEI programming. In February, President Kerry Prather told The Franklin that the school would remain committed to DEI efforts even under federal restrictions.
In March 2024, the college accepted an Advancing Racial Equity Collection Development grant from Indiana Humanities, according to an official statement.
According to the school, the grant was to “enhance its library collection with new acquisitions focused on diversity, equity and inclusion topics.”
Franklin’s decision to step away from DEI reflects a broader national trend. Kansas State University recently announced that it will remove the word “diversity” from its mission statement, Campus Reform reported.
Emory University announced earlier this month that it would quickly move to end its DEI programs and dismantle existing DEI offices.
Legal and administrative reviews at many colleges remain ongoing as courts and agencies litigate the scope of enforcement.
Campus Reform has contacted Franklin College, Anna James, Emily Banks, and Kerry Prather for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
