UPenn ditches 'Diversity and Equity’ committee title, keeps same policies
The University of Pennsylvania’s University Council has renamed its 'Committee on Diversity and Equity' to the 'Committee on Community and Equal Opportunity,' while maintaining the committee’s 'core responsibilities.'
The University Council voted to change its bylaws to rename the diversity and equity committee on Wednesday, Dec. 3, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The University of Pennsylvania’s University Council has renamed its “Committee on Diversity and Equity” to the “Committee on Community and Equal Opportunity,” while maintaining the committee’s “core responsibilities.”
The University Council voted to change its bylaws to rename the diversity and equity committee on Wednesday, Dec. 3, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The University Council, along with the Faculty Senate, recommended revisions to the policies.
A current description for the former Committee on Diversity Equity says that the group “aids Penn in fostering and taking full advantage of its diversity as well as in strengthening ties across all boundaries to enrich and enliven the campus community.”
[RELATED: St. Louis University rebrands DEI office, denies link to Trump crackdown]
University officials cite the cause for the name change as “legal and legislative changes,” likely referring to President Trump’s January anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) executive order. The order threatens loss of federal funding for colleges and universities that continue to promote DEI initiatives.
Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs Joann Mitchell said at the meeting that the university’s counsel has discussed removing DEI language, such as “affirmative action.”
Despite the name change, the university council appears to have kept everything else about the committee the same, “preserving the core responsibilities,” according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Some student organization leaders who spoke at the Dec. 3 meeting criticized the proposed name change.
“It doesn’t feel right to me and my conscience, on behalf of my constituents, to vote yes,” one student leader said.
“Because our federal administration is attacking us for certain things, that doesn’t mean Penn needs to continuously back down from these challenges,” another added.
Earlier this year, UPenn academic departments made a series of policy changes to remove references to DEI. In April, the university removed mentions of “diversity” and “inclusion” from more than a dozen position titles, such as the “Vice Dean for Diversity Equity and Inclusion.”
Also in April, almost every academic department eliminated references to DEI on its website. By contrast, the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies program reiterated its commitment to DEI in a public statement.
The university also rejected an offer to participate in the Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” in October.
Campus Reform contacted the University of Pennsylvania and the University Council for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
