Wake Forest dissolves DEI office but preserves cultural centers within Division of Campus Life
Wake Forest University announced that it is closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and shifting the Intercultural Center, LGBTQ+ Center, and Women’s Center into the Division of Campus Life.
The move was shared with students and faculty by former Chief Diversity Officer Jose Villalba in an update published on the university’s website.
Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina announced on Aug. 8 that it is closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) and shifting the Intercultural Center, LGBTQ+ Center, and Women’s Center into the Division of Campus Life.
The move was shared with students and faculty by Chief Diversity Officer Jose Villalba in an update published on the university’s website.
[RELATED: Cornell renames DEI office amid $1B funding standoff with Trump admin]
Additionally, Wake Forest President Susan Wente has appointed Villalba to the role of vice president and special advisor, according to WUNC.
“The Intercultural Center, the LGBTQ+ Center, and the Women’s Center will transition from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to the Division of Campus Life,” Villalba wrote.
Villalba explained the reason for the ODI closure, saying that “leadership of these centers comprised a significant portion of our portfolio.” The shift is a response to the crackdown on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) under the Trump administration.
On Jan. 21, President Trump issued an executive order that referred to DEI as “illegal” and favoring an “unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system.”
Villalba emphasized in his message that the transition aims to keep the other centers active and will continue to serve as “hubs of learning and community, while remaining in compliance with ongoing guidance from the Departments of Justice and Education.”
[RELATED: DOJ memo targets DEI programs at federally-funded schools]
The university claims the reorganization will better integrate the centers with broader student support structures. According to Villalba, the move “will create new opportunities for alignment and engagement among the centers and Campus Life offices that support students and their experiences.”
As noted by Campus Reform, various universities have come under scrutiny for retaining their DEI ideologies despite the federal crackdown, such as at Kansas State University.
Campus Reform has reached out to Wake Forest media relations and the Division of Campus Life. This article will be updated accordingly.
