University of Pennsylvania Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies program reaffirms support for DEI
The University of Pennsylvania’s Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies program has said it will not remove DEI-based (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) terms from its website.
The program reiterated its commitment to DEI last week in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, the university’s student-run newspaper.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies program has said it will not remove DEI-based (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) terms from its website.
The program reiterated its commitment to DEI last week in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, the university’s student-run newspaper.
The statement comes as other university undergraduate and graduate schools have removed a bevy of DEI references from their websites. Mission statements that formerly mentioned DEI have been edited, and title positions have been renamed.
For example, the “vice dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” is now the “vice dean for Academic Excellence and Engagement.”
Other references to racial and gender-based identity groups have also been removed, including on the university’s main page, formerly dedicated to diversity; the page now focuses on “Belonging.”
Meanwhile, the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program’s website has not been altered.
The program is still “committed to cultivating a learning environment that values and prioritizes inclusion, equity, and diversity through research, teaching, advocacy, activism, and community engagement,” its website says.
“GSWS at Penn is an inclusive space, committed to affirming students, staff, and faculty of all genders and identities, including trans and non-binary individuals,” it continues.
The program’s statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian mentioned that administrators have pushed for a change to DEI language, but the program is not backing down.
“We have received requests from administrators to remove language from our website related to our program and center’s commitment to DEIA,” Program Director Jessa Lingel said.
Lingel also stated that the program’s “relationship to inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility is central to what we do.”
The program’s recommitment to DEI comes as many other universities are making adjustments in the face of President Trump’s anti-DEI executive order.
Notably, the University of Michigan recently eliminated its DEI office; the institution had previously spent $250 million on DEI initiatives.
Virginia Tech also removed its DEI office this past week. The school joined other state colleges in complying with the federal crackdown on DEI policies, including the University of Virginia.
“DEI is done at the University of Virginia,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said last month. “We stand for the universal truth that everyone is created equal, and opportunity is at the heart of Virginians’ and Americans’ future.”
Campus Reform contacted the University of Pennsylvania and the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
