Harvard rebrands DEI office as Office of Community and Campus Life

Harvard University has renamed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze billions in federal funding to the school.

The DEI center, which was previously called the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, has been renamed to the “Office of Community and Campus Life,” as reported by The Harvard Crimson.

The university made the announcement on Monday; the name adjustment was announced by Sherri A. Charleston, the school’s former chief diversity officer.

[RELATED: Trump admin sets terms, orders DEI rollback and protections for Jewish students for Harvard to preserve $9B in federal funding]

“In the weeks and months ahead, we will take steps to make this change concrete and to work with all of Harvard’s schools and units to implement these vital objectives, including shared efforts to reexamine and reshape the missions and programs of offices across the university,” Charleston wrote.

“Our challenge today is to help all within that community to realize the benefits of learning, working, and living alongside others who come from various backgrounds, have had different experiences, and hold diverse viewpoints,” Charleston added, according to The Hill.

As of publication, the website for Harvard’s former DEI center still refers to the old name, and includes references to “diversity” and “inclusion.”

The university also canceled funding for racially discriminatory “affinity” graduation ceremonies, as noted by National Review.

The Trump administration had previously placed Harvard University under federal review, threatening nearly $9 billion in federal funding unless the school complies with specific directives targeting DEI policies and anti-Semitism on campus.

On April 8, the administration issued a list of required changes, including banning masks at protests, cooperating with law enforcement, ending race-based hiring and admissions and dismantling DEI programs.

As Campus Reform has reported, the Trump administration specifically directed Harvard to “shutter” DEI programs.

[RELATED: Princeton president digs in heels after Trump revokes $210M over anti-Semitism concerns, saying he’s protecting ‘academic freedom’]

When Harvard declined to comply, the federal government froze $2.2 billion in funding on April 14, citing civil rights violations and a failure to meet the intellectual and legal standards expected of federally-funded institutions.

Harvard President Alan Garber initially rejected the administration’s demands, claiming they violated constitutional rights and exceeded legal authority under Title VI.

“We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” Garber wrote at the time. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

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