Virginia Tech votes to dismantle DEI office amid legal compliance concerns
The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors recently joined other public universities in the state in eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives amid President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI crackdown.
The Board of Visitors voted on the DEI changes on Tuesday, and implemented several reforms, including ending the school’s 'Office for Inclusive Strategy and Excellence.'
The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors recently joined other public universities in the state in eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives amid President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI crackdown.
The Board of Visitors voted on the DEI changes on Tuesday, and implemented several reforms, including ending the school’s “Office for Inclusive Strategy and Excellence,” according to WDBJ. The board approved the policy change by a vote of 12–2, according to Cardinal News.
Following the vote, university officials explained that the change was made to keep Virginia Tech compliant with state and federal law.
“We’re also committed to uphold the law when it comes to discrimination based on protected identities,” Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands reportedly said following the vote. “Determination of those laws has shifted in recent years and months, but must shift accordingly, as with every new administration in Washington.”
“At the end of the day, the resolution says we have to be compliant (with the law), and we always have been,” Virginia Tech spokesperson Mark Owczarski added, according to WFXR. “We have to make sure that we remain compliant in the face of evolving and changing law.”
After the resolution was passed, Virginia Tech students and staff reportedly protested in support of DEI initiatives by organizing a march around the Blacksburg campus.
“We have to protest, we have to stand up, and we have to try to fight for humanity, and love, and people,” said one student, as reported by WFXR. “I’m here to fight for humanity.”
Campus Reform previously reported about the U.S. Department of Education’s Feb. 14 notice warning schools that promote DEI.
“[U]nder any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal,” the department explained. “If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law.”
Campus Reform has also reported about the removal of various DEI initiatives in the wake of the Trump administration’s anti-DEI endeavors
As part of the removal, the Universities of Southern California, Alaska, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Stanford, Michigan, and Notre Dame have removed online references to DEI.
Additionally, several states, including Ohio and Arizona, have taken steps to completely eliminate DEI from publicly-funded universities.
Campus Reform has contacted Virginia Tech for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
