Harvard Graduate School of Education shutters DEI office as federal funding stalls
Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education has eliminated its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office and laid off its chief diversity officer.
According to a report from GBH, staff from the disbanded DEI office are being reassigned to other departments, including student affairs and human resources.
Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education has eliminated its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office and removed its chief diversity officer, Jarrod Chin.
According to a report from GBH, staff from the disbanded DEI office are being reassigned to other departments, including student affairs and human resources. Internal sources at Harvard said the university is shifting to a more “distributed model for DEI,” reorganizing responsibilities rather than maintaining a centralized office.
Chin had reportedly only been in the role since right before the start of the protests about the Israel-Hamas war during 2023.
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The closure comes as the Graduate School of Education faces a multi-million-dollar budget deficit. Roughly half of the school’s students are international, many from China, and uncertainties around student visas have raised concerns.
The Graduate School of Education’s DEI shutdown is part of a broader trend at Harvard. Campus Reform has reported that the university has taken steps away from DEI during the Trump administration.
Earlier this year, for instance, Harvard Medical School renamed its DEI office to the Office for Culture and Community Engagement amid growing federal pressure.
Harvard has faced significant consequences over its support for DEI, including a freeze in $2 billion of federal funding.
“Harvard has in recent years failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment,” departments within the Trump administration stated in their April letter announcing the funding pause. “But we appreciate your expression of commitment to repairing those failures and welcome your collaboration in restoring the University to its promise.”
In response to the funding cuts, Harvard’s Kennedy School (HKS) is laying off staff and restructuring jobs. HKS Dean Jeremy Weinstein cited “unprecedented new headwinds” and financial strain. Other Harvard schools, including the medical and public health schools, have also been forced to make cuts.
Various other schools have also eliminated or restructured DEI programming following the Trump administration’s crackdown.
Universities including the University of Southern California, the University of Alaska, Vanderbilt University, and Northwestern University have all taken down references to DEI online.
Schools such as the University of Cincinnati and Michigan State University have also reviewed or eliminated DEI programs.
Campus Reform has contacted Harvard University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
