Temple medical school rebrands DEI without removing it

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia has renamed its Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion—but is maintaining its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives.

Now named the Office of Strategic Partnership in Health, Education and Resources (SPHERE), the department continues to promote “equity”-based programs. The website still features the institution’s Diversity Statement and references the Temple Health LGBTQ Alliance Task Force.

[RELATED: USI rebrands Multicultural Center into new Student Life Office amid DEI restrictions]

The renaming reflects an “expanded, school-wide commitment to advancing equity,” according to an internal email obtained by The Center Square and reported by the Washington Examiner on Nov. 21. 

The message—signed by Dean Amy Goldberg, Senior Associate Dean for Health Equity Abiona Berkeley, and Associate Dean Andrew Sanderson—assured the Temple community that “education and training, community partnerships, student and trainee support, faculty development, and data-informed equity initiatives” will continue uninterrupted.

“The same colleagues you rely on will keep supporting you and your programs, while strengthening collaborations across Temple Health and Temple University,” the email stated.

The medical policy group Do No Harm called the announcement a rebranding, not a rollback. “Temple made clear that this is just a rebrand for an office that will continue its equity-focused mission,” the group stated in a June commentary.

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Temple’s decision contrasts with trends in several states where colleges have reduced or dismantled DEI offices in response to legislative or public pressure. Rather than eliminate its DEI structure, Temple has opted to preserve it under a more neutral-sounding title.

The practice of quietly renaming DEI departments while retaining their function has become more common, prompting critics to question whether universities are simply concealing controversial agendas behind bureaucratic jargon.

Campus Reform has reached out to Temple University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.