25-03-2025
Virginia colleges dismantle DEI programs after federal funding threat
Virginia universities and colleges are buckling under the threat of losing federal funding if they don't eliminate their diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies.
Why it matters: As conservatives celebrate the end of DEI, some higher education experts say it could set civil rights work back 50 years.
State of play: Virginia's secretary of education, Aimee Guidera, recently told university boards to investigate and end any race-based initiatives.
Her directive reinforced the Trump administration's January order to end DEI from colleges nationwide.
And for the schools, major funding is at stake. VCU, for example, relies on nearly a half-billion dollars in federal money for student loans and research grants.
The latest: In recent weeks, VCU and UVA's Board of Visitors voted to dissolve their DEI offices and review all university programs, including financial aid and scholarships.
Virginia Tech is likely next, per the Roanoke Times.
The school has already begun removing DEI-related web pages, which Tech students told a student-run outlet were a source of support for people of color on campus.
It's unknown how many jobs this will affect, but UVA board member Bert Ellis told the Daily Progress that "every aspect of DEI is to be ripped out, shredded and eliminated."
The state board overseeing 23 community colleges in Virginia also ordered community colleges to end their DEI initiatives.
Zoom in: Other universities — like JMU, CNU and VSU — have quietly scrubbed mentions of DEI from their sites or taken down pages referencing it altogether.
JMU sites for anti-racism resources and a DEI committee for JMU athletics are down.
So is CNU's site about a President's Council on DEI, which has sponsored grants for student research.
VSU is deleting and editing DEI-related webpages, reports the VSU Spectator, and links to programs like " the Coming Together for Racial Understanding" are down.
George Mason — which is being federally investigated for alleged "race-exclusionary practices" — has renamed its DEI office to the "Office of Access, Compliance and Community."
And before last week's board decision, VCU posted on their job site that it no longer requires diversity statements in faculty hiring.
Between the lines: Though state Attorney General Jason Miyares has given public universities guidance about how to ax DEI programs, the guidance is confidential.
