VCU ends DEI following Trump order
The Board of Visitors voted 11-4 to dismantle the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion office on March 21. Photo by Kieran Stevens.
Andrew Kerley, Contributing Writer
VCU has become the latest Virginia school to begin dismantling Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives to comply with President Donald Trump’s orders.
The VCU Board of Visitors voted 11–4 for a resolution ending the university’s DEI office — the Division of Inclusive Excellence — on March 21. The university is examining all programs, policies and practices, and will reconvene in May to consider any further action in order to align with federal law.
Trump signed his executive order “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” on Jan. 21. The United States Department of Education then followed up on Feb. 14 with a “Dear Colleague” letter reaffirming the order and accusing schools of considering race in all aspects of campus life, including admissions, hiring, promotion, financial aid, scholarships, housing and graduation ceremonies.
Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera sent a letter to schools on March 1 giving them a deadline to comply with the order: their next Board of Visitors meeting.
The Board is VCU’s highest governing body and has 16 members appointed by the Governor of Virginia. The majority of Board members have been appointed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin as of July 2024.
VCU risked losing federal funding if it did not comply with Trump’s orders. In the 2024 fiscal year, the university received $445.4 million from the federal government: that’s $38.2 million in Pell Grants, $207.1 million in student loans and $200.1 million in research grants, according to VCU spokesperson Brian McNeill. VCU Health also received $888.3 million in Medicaid payments and $879.8 million in Medicare payments.
Vote breakdown
Members who voted for the resolution
- Todd Haymore (Rector)
- Anthony Bedell
- Rooz Dadabhoy
- Steve DeLuca
- Peter Farrell
- Ellen Fitzsimmons
- Dale Jones
- Siobhan Dunnavant
- Kenneth Lipstock
- Randy Reynolds Jr.
- CJ Sailor
Members who voted against the resolution
- Ed McCoy
- Clifton Peay
- Tyrone Nelson
- Gurupeet “P2” Sandhu
Members who were absent
- Andy Florance (Vice-Rector)
The decision was necessary to ensure VCU is in compliance with federal law, according to Todd Haymore, the rector of VCU’s Board. Administration will spend the next 50 days evaluating the overall impact on the university, as a designated task force has been doing since the “Dear Colleague” letter in February.
Rev. Tyrone Nelson, a local pastor and leader, is one of the longest-serving members of the Board — his term ends in June. He said he voted “no” on the resolution because it was the right thing to do.
“It’s just sad that the President of the United States is using federal funding to bully universities into his racism,” Nelson said. “It’s sad that we have a governor that supports it.”
The University of Virginia was the first school to comply with the order, according to The Cavalier Daily. The state board overseeing Virginia’s 23 community colleges is also dismantling DEI initiatives, according to a resolution they passed on March 20. Virginia Tech passed their own resolution on March 25, according to WWBT.
President Michael Rao and other leaders sent an email to students and faculty addressing the changes and reaffirming VCU’s commitment to “embracing different backgrounds and perspectives.”
“Our mission does not change,” they stated.
The resolution was voted on in place of another resolution passed by the Faculty Senate earlier on March 19, which asked the Board to reaffirm that faculty were already in compliance with federal law.
VCU’s now-former Chief Diversity Officer Faye Belgrave said the dismantling of the Inclusive Excellence program is “beyond disappointing” and a “disservice to the VCU community.”
The office’s efforts have been responsive to VCU’s needs, according to Belgrave. They have strengthened more inclusive and constructive dialogues, more knowledge on antisemitism and anti-Palestinian bias, the training of students to have more inclusive and civil conversation, safe and healing spaces during national crises and opportunities for all to celebrate and acknowledge the diverse culture of VCU.
“This is not discrimination,” Belgrave said.
Ending DEI brings changes across the university
VCU is one of the most diverse colleges in the state: 43.1% of students are white, 18.7% are Black, 13.3% are Asian and 9.92% are Latino, according to data from 2022.
The Division of Inclusive Excellence mainly hosted events and lectures on topics like race, gender and socioeconomic class. The Board’s resolution seeks to transfer programs from the office to other departments — so long as they’re in compliance with Trump’s orders.
Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos announced earlier in the month that certain faculty hiring practices that consider diversity will be paused for review. Additionally, the Statement of Contribution to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that was formerly required of all faculty applicants is retired.
The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs hosts specialized graduation ceremonies for certain cultures, such as the “Donning of the Kente Celebration” for students of African descent or the “Lavender Celebration” for LGBTQ+ students. The ceremonies used to be referred to as “Cultural Achievement Ceremonies,” but now must be referred to as “Cultural Celebrations,” and the changes are reflected on the OMSA website.
VCU Public Relations declined to share details about what might happen to the Office of Equity and Access Services, which oversees discrimination and Title IX complaints, accessibility, workplace accommodations, affirmative action and employment practices.
Ashley Brown, the president of VCU’s NAACP Chapter, said diversity is what makes America and VCU special.
“VCU is like, ‘We’re so diverse,’ they campaign about ‘we’re un-this, uncommon, un-whatever,’” Brown said. “So when we remove these programs that support all of these uncommon and exceptional students, what do we have?”
