UL Lafayette axes Office of Campus Inclusion in response to 'federal directive'

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has closed its office dedicated to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

The university has deleted the web page, as well as the Instagram and Facebook accounts, for the Office of Campus Inclusion, which was officially closed following an email announcement on Friday. Two employees of the office have reportedly been moved to the Office of Academic Affairs.

[RELATED: Caltech removes DEI language from administrator title while preserving DEI office]

“It is our intent that all students are fully engaged in and find success at the university,” university spokesman Eric Maron told a local ABC affiliate. “This has not changed. Engaging students and supporting their success remains a core part of our identity.”

According to a report from the Louisiana Illuminator, the university closed the office to be “in compliance with a federal directive.” 

The move comes after President Trump’s Jan. 21 executive order aimed at ending DEI at universities that receive federal funding. The Department of Education followed up on the order in February with a letter to various universities, likening DEI to racial discrimination.

“Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices,” the letter said. 

“Proponents of these discriminatory practices have attempted to further justify them—particularly during the last four years—under the banner of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (‘DEI’), smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline,” it continued.

A month later, the department announced investigations into 50 universities for potential violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Trump administration has also threatened to remove federal funding from universities that still maintain DEI policies. Earlier this week, the administration froze $2.2 billion to Harvard University for refusing to make changes concerning DEI and anti-Semitism.

Meanwhile, conservative states have been moving to pass measures prohibiting DEI at public universities. For instance, the Ohio legislature passed such a bill last month. 

[RELATED: DoD continues DEI crackdown with Naval Academy ending race-based admissions]

Other states that have banned DEI at public universities include: Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, North Dakota, West Virginia, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.

Campus Reform has contacted the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.