By SUSAN JONES
The move by Pitt to close its Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) as of July 1 and open a new Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing follows a trend being seen at universities throughout the country both before and since the Trump administration returned to office in January.
NEW WEBSITE
The Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing’s website is now live. A University spokesman said content will be added to the website in the coming weeks and months, but it already provides access to information pertaining to disability accommodations, civil rights and Title IX reporting, and sexual misconduct prevention. The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s website was taken down on July 1, and the new site became active late last week.
Among leading public research universities in the Association of American Universities, at least 16 have closed or altered their diversity offices, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Many are in states that have new laws banning diversity programs — like the University of Florida, Texas A&M and the University of Utah — but not all. The University of Michigan closed its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and its Office for Health Equity and Inclusion in March, and closer to home, Penn State closed its Multicultural Resource Center last year. Some Pennsylvania lawmakers have proposed banning DEI offices, but no law has been passed.
Many of the DEI changes at colleges this year have been in response to a “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education in February that said schools at all levels must eliminate race-conscious policies and programming immediately or risk losing federal funding.
Pitt’s move also comes on the heels of the president of the University of Virginia being forced to resign last month after the U.S. Department of Justice started an investigation into whether UVA had done enough to sufficiently comply with Trump’s orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion.
What’s happening here?
The new Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing was created with input from a “Dear Colleague” working group, comprising administrators, faculty and staff.
Chancellor Joan Gabel said at the July 11 Board of Trustees meeting that the review of that letter took place “in the context of our goals as articulated in the Plan for Pitt, which states that we cultivate a welcoming and engaged community where all members can thrive and be their best selves. … And we look forward to working together with all of you and all of our campus stakeholders as the mission of this office evolves.”
“The new Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing builds upon the foundation established by the former office (OEDI),” the University said in a statement.
The new office — which will be led by Clyde Wilson Pickett, who also led the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion — “will provide oversight of civil rights compliance, Title IX, ADA accessibility, sexual misconduct prevention, employee and student engagement and retention, institution-wide wellbeing strategy, and campus climate monitoring,” a University spokesman said in a statement.
“This change reflects a strategic realignment to more effectively and holistically support our University community’s engagement and wellbeing. In addition to compliance, it will focus on proactive education, institutional accountability, and fostering a positive and welcoming campus climate,” the University said.
The approximately 25 employees from OEDI will be transitioning to the new office. There will be no terminations because of this transition, although some job functions may change, the University said.
OEDI also was the home for Pitt Communities for various affinity groups of Pitt faculty and staff. The University said affinity groups — such as Pitt Queer Professionals, Equipoise or Pitt Women — will remain available, but “we have emphasized the need for them to be inclusive. Additionally, other resources to support the student and employee experience and overall campus climate will continue as part of the new Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing.”
In 2023, a Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey was sent to all staff, faculty and students. Though participation was low compared to peer institutions, the survey found that LGBTQ+ people, especially nonbinary and trans people, as well as Black people, others of color and under-represented minorities, reported more discrimination and harassment, as well as less satisfaction with campus leadership, than did international students, whites, Asians and heterosexual and cisgender people.
The Trump administration has cited the 2023 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that struck down use of affirmative action in higher education admissions as justification for demanding the end of college diversity programs.
When that ruling came out, then-Provost Ann Cudd said in her official response for the University: “The University of Pittsburgh’s mission is to improve lives through education and knowledge. We believe that all of our students can and should benefit from this mission, and that diversity, in all its forms, enhances our individual and shared success and improves the educational experience. In the wake of today’s ruling, these guiding principles remain unchanged.”
History of office
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion was created in 2015, with Pam Connelly, then the University’s associate general counsel, stepping in as vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion. The office was designed to coordinate and expand Pitt’s ongoing commitment to and emphasis on diversity, and included the Offices of Affirmative Action and Title IX Compliance. That same year, Pitt named its first Title IX coordinator, Katie Pope.
Connelly served in that position until the end of 2019, during which time the office grew from four to 18 people. During her tenure, in addition to promoting inclusivity, the office helped promote the naming of the K. Leroy Irvis Residence Hall; and played a role in the removal of the controversial Stephen Foster statue and renaming of Parran Hall.
Pickett joined the office in 2020, and it was subsequently renamed the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Pickett said at the time — shortly after the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, by Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests — that he planned to prioritize acknowledging historical issues, advancing institutional changes, amplifying the voices of activists and scholars engaged in social justice work, and promoting introspection across the University about how it invests in activism and anti-racist initiatives.
Since 2020, almost all of Pitt’s schools have added or elevated the role of chief diversity officers. For instance, in 2022, the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences named its first associate dean for equity, faculty recruitment and community engagement, Natasha Tokowicz, and Pitt Business named its first associate dean for inclusion, engagement and international affairs, Paul Harper.
Board of Trustees action
Last year, the Board of Trustees reorganized and reduced its standing committees from 14 to eight. One that remained was the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging committee.
In light of the University establishing the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing, the trustees voted last week to eliminate the DEI and Belonging committee and form a new Wellbeing committee.
The resolution voted on by trustees said the new committee is needed “to better align with the institution’s strategic plan and lead to the more effective conduct of the Board’s oversight responsibilities.”
The committee’s charter says it “shall provide general oversight and guidance to the University’s efforts to remain a welcoming university, an employer of choice, and an organization for which people will maintain a lifelong connection.”
The board previously has had an Affirmative Action committee, which later became the Affirmative Action, Diversity and Inclusion committee.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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