VCU students ‘not surprised’ by cuts to DEI 

Emily Grinstead, Contributing Writer

VCU announced on March 21 that it is dissolving its Division of Inclusive Excellence, following a Jan. 21 executive order issued by President Donald Trump titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.”

VCU president Michael Rao addressed students in an email sent after the resolution, promising it does not alter VCU’s mission.

“The VCU Board of Visitors approved a resolution affirming that the university must follow federal and state laws regarding discrimination,” the email stated. “The resolution directed the university to discontinue the Division of Inclusive Excellence in order to align with new federal discrimination guidance.”

Appropriate programs formerly under the Division of Inclusive Excellence will be transferred to other departments within the university, according to the resolution.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits organizations receiving federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, color or nationality. The executive order issued by President Trump on Jan. 21 stated that DEI programs are “dangerous, demeaning and immoral” and violate the Civil Rights Act by promoting race and sex based biases.

The United States Department of Education released a “Dear Colleague Letter” on Feb. 14, which instructs universities to cease DEI programs within 14 days or lose federal funding.

The DOE’s Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation into 45 universities, including George Mason University, which have “race-exclusionary” practices and “race-based” scholarships, according to a March 14 press release by the U.S. Department of Education.

The University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and the Virginia Community College System have cut DEI offices and initiatives, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Nationally, 320 public colleges and universities have made changes to DEI-related offices and activities since Jan. 2023.

Universities have already dismantled DEI programs to comply with state laws and a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision which deemed affirmative action unconstitutional, according to a U.S. News and World Report. Many universities have erased DEI-related language from their websites. VCU’s website for its Division of Inclusive Excellence is no longer available.

Tre Straughter was formerly the program and event specialist for the Division of Inclusive Excellence at VCU. Straughter stated that as a member of the Inclusive Excellence team, he promoted “constructive dialogues” and celebrated the “range of diversity” at the university.

“Although disappointed, I am proud of my team members, the VCU student body, and every community member and vendor who helped make our division successful,” Straughter stated in an email.

He met with HR representatives at the university to discuss reassignment options, Straughter stated.

Twenty-nine states have introduced 127 bills to alter or dismantle DEI initiatives, with only 16 being signed into law since Jan. 23, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Savannah Snider, a third-year philosophy student, said she was not surprised by the resolution.

Rao’s email to students promised to continue “embracing different backgrounds and perspectives,” according to Snider. She said this statement is contradictory to the BOV’s decision.

“Actions kind of speak louder than words, so you can say that in email, but your actions don’t really match up with that necessarily,” Snider said

Daniella Ruiz, a third-year psychology student, was employed as a researcher under the Division of Inclusive Excellence. Ruiz was part of a team that developed questions for the campus climate survey, which focused on inclusivity at VCU. The study has since been cancelled due to the resolution.

“I really like the study that we were doing because it just shows how a lot of people think that VCU could do better, and we’re trying to help VCU do better, and they just shut down the department.” Ruiz said.

Ruiz said VCU’s diversity is something that drew her to the school initially, and the resolution seems to be conflicting with the university’s promise of diversity.

“That’s the reason why I came here too, was just because of how diverse they were,” Ruiz said. “So the fact that they’re getting rid of the whole department that just focuses on that and them being inclusive just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Emmy Lambert, a first-year health, physical education and exercise science student, said she was surprised by the resolution, given the diversity of VCU and the election leanings of Richmond.

“I would expect an area that’s blue and has the student diversity it has to fight for their students and go against something like that, not just bow down to it as easily as they did,” Lambert said.

The university will continue to evaluate programs and policies to ensure they are in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, according to the resolution.

Kyle Lee, a fourth-year theatre student, said he was “disappointed” and “frustrated” by the resolution. Students should keep discussing the resolution and should not let it be ignored or forgotten, according to Lee.

“It’d be nice if the school I am paying to be at appreciated diversity, appreciated people that look like me,” Lee said. “And it just overall feels like it’s like another safe space I have to fight for.”