10-02-2025
UNC Asheville suspends DEI course requirements following Trump order, UNC System memo
UNC Asheville suspends DEI course requirements following Trump order, UNC System memo
ASHEVILLE - UNC Asheville has immediately suspended existing graduation requirements mandating completion of course credits related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
A Feb. 6 email to students, staff and faculty from Chancellor Kimberly van Noort acknowledged that "such substantial curricular changes" during a semester are "unprecedented" and may be "confusing and difficult to navigate."
Her directive came in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump, and a memo from the UNC System, sent Feb. 5, that said in order to comply with the order, all general education requirements and major-specific requirements mandating completion of courses related to DEI are "suspended" so as not to jeopardize federal funding.
According to the memo, universities can still offer the courses, but cannot mandate them for students.
UNCA spokesperson Brian Hart said before the suspension, students were required to complete two diversity intensive courses, or DI. At least one was required to have a DI-R designation, indicating it is a U.S. Race/Ethnicity-Centric course. The second course could be designated as DI or DI-R.
For the Spring 2025 semester, there are 53 classes with a diversity intensive designation, with 1,097 students enrolled in those classes. Total enrollment at UNCA is 2,801 students.
A link on its website to a list of diversity intensives offered at UNCA led to a "page not found" dead end Feb. 7. But Hart said courses with a diversity-intensive designation include Appalachian Literature, Global Business, Developmental Psychology and Intro to Cultural Anthropology.
Per the memo, sent by Andrew Tripp, UNC System senior vice president for legal affairs and general counsel, during the suspension, UNC's existing curricular requirements related to diversity intensive courses will be converted into general elective requirements. Students will still be required to meet 120 credit hours to be eligible for graduation.
Van Noort said the university's top priority is ensuring that this change does not impede graduation or academic degree progress. Any student currently enrolled in a Spring 2025 course to satisfy a requirement related to diversity intensive courses may elect either to remain enrolled in the course or to withdraw without penalty.
"It is my top priority to ensure that all UNC Asheville students have a clear path to graduation, including providing all academic student success resources available to meet program of study requirements," she said. "Equally, I want to ensure everyone in our community that we remain steadfastly committed to fostering a culture of belonging, access, and student success."
Hart clarified that all classes with the diversity intensive designation will continue without changes, and students will still receive general elective credit for those classes. Students who are currently in a diversity intensive class or classes, including seniors who plan to graduate in May or August, may continue in that class or classes and remain on track for graduation.
UNC institutions received approximately $1.4 billion in federal research dollars in fiscal year 2023-24, according to Tripp's memo. That is about 62% of all university research funds, and 13% of its annual budget. It also receives over $600 million in federal dollars in the form of student aid and other funding. The risk of jeopardizing that funding is "too great to defer action," he said.
More: Asheville will receive $225M in federal disaster recovery funds: What must happen now?
More: 'Assessment' work in UNC Asheville woods sparks fear, frustration among neighbors
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@ or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
