By SUSAN JONES
The Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on diversity, equity and inclusion programs continues to cause consternation at universities throughout the U.S.
The letter said all colleges and universities must cease using race preferences and stereotypes as a factor in their admissions, hiring, promotion, scholarship, prizes, administrative support, sanctions, discipline, and other programs and activities, or risk losing federal funding.
Many called the initial letter vague and confusing. The department on March 1 published a list of frequently asked questions, including: Can schools separate students by race or encourage students to self-separate by race? Are diversity, equity and inclusion programs unlawful under Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard?
On March 5, the National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire, saying the letter violated educators’ free speech rights.
“The Dear Colleague Letter is a brazen attempt to intimidate schools into abandoning lawful efforts to create inclusive learning environments,” said Anthony Romero, ACLU executive director, in a statement. “This is a blatant attack on free speech and academic freedom, aiming to deprive students of a full and honest education.”
The lawsuit says the directive exposes educators “to professional and legal penalties by declaring that their protected expression violates federal law” and risks cuts to federal school funding that would be “devastating to almost any educational institution.”
As a result, it’s possible that schools will move to cut back on any expression that could be deemed a “DEI program,” the suit says.
Some schools are already moving ahead in an effort to comply with the directive. The Chronicle of Higher Education has been tracking “Higher Ed’s Dismantling of DEI” — mostly at public colleges — since 2023. The latest actions include:
- The University of Virginia’s governing Board of Visitors on March 7 ordered the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office be dissolved.
-
Ohio State University on Feb. 27 announced it was closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and modifying scholarship programs geared toward diverse student populations.
-
Georgia Tech dissolved its LGBTQIA+ Resource Center, Women’s Resource Center, and Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology group.
-
The University of Nebraska at Omaha completely shut down their Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion Office on Feb. 21.
-
The University of Southern California deleted references to diversity, equity, and inclusion from some of its websites; renamed several programs and job titles, replacing DEI with “community and culture” language; and removed information about a scholarship for Black and Indigenous students.
So far, Pitt has made no official moves to curtail the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, although there have been sporadic reports of diversity-related information removed from and then restored to various websites.
Clyde Pickett, Pitt’s vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion, spoke this weekend at a meeting of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, of which he is the board chair.
According to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, Pickett recounted how his great-grandmother, just one generation removed from slavery, would pick up garbage along the streets of her neighborhood every day after working a full day as a domestic worker.
When he asked her why she did this, she responded, "We have to understand that we have a responsibility for our own and to take care of our own. So, what I'm doing is investing in our community."
Pickett drew a parallel to current DEI challenges that administrators are facing. “We have to do some things that we didn't necessarily cause, but something that we had the responsibility to clean up."
Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Pickett said, “The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand in times of challenge and controversy.”
Pickett urged DEI professionals to stay grounded in their values and purpose. "We have to understand when we face this adversity, we have to return to our why—why do we do what we do? Why we're committed to what we’re committed to, and who we do it for."
A Feb. 21 email from Chancellor Joan Gabel and other senior letters said: “We want to be clear that the University of Pittsburgh is open to everyone, and we are committed to fulfilling our promise of successful outcomes academically or professionally. We hold ourselves accountable, and we provide the environment where success can and should happen. Recognizing that many of our community members are feeling great uncertainty at this time, please be assured that we will be in touch with additional information, as appropriate, including future guidance from the Department of Education.”
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
Have a story idea or news to share? Share it with the University Times.