Syracuse scraps DEI office, launches 'People and Culture' rebrand
Syracuse University closed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office on Thursday.
The university announced the decision to close the office in a school-wide email, according to The Daily Orange.
Syracuse University in upstate New York closed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office on Thursday.
The university announced the decision to close the office in a school-wide email, according to The Daily Orange.
“It is essential to ensure all members of our community feel and are respected, supported and valued,” Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud said in the email, The Daily Orange reported.
In the same message, the university revealed it had created a new office called “People and Culture.”
The office’s website contains a land acknowledgment at the bottom.
“I acknowledge with respect the Onondaga Nation, firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee, the Indigenous people on whose ancestral lands Syracuse University now stands,” it states.
However, the page currently makes no mention of “diversity,” “equity,” or “inclusion.”
The university has not provided a reason for the DEI office’s closure. However, it follows a March review of its DEI policies aimed at federal compliance.
A university spokesman said at the time that the school did not believe it needed to make any changes.
“Broadly speaking, the federal administration’s position is that consideration of race in any aspect of student, academic or campus life is discriminatory and, thus, a violation of Title VI,” the spokesman said. “While this broad interpretation is being challenged in the courts, the University does not believe any of our programs discriminate against any group.”
[RELATED: Trump anti-DEI executive orders prompt Phoenix college to cancel LGBT film fest]
President Trump signed an anti-DEI executive order in January, threatening to halt federal funding to colleges and universities that refuse to eliminate DEI practices.
The U.S. Department of Education sent a follow-up letter to universities receiving federal funding on Feb. 14.
Various universities have eliminated DEI offices following the executive order.
Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro announced on July 23 that it will close the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students, the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, and the Center for Fairness, Justice, and Equity.
The University of Pittsburgh notified students on June 30 of its intention to close its DEI office due to pressure from the federal government.
Harvard University has moved to close multiple DEI offices during negotiations with the federal government to restore funding.
Campus Reform contacted Syracuse University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
