27-02-2025
Ohio State ends DEI, closes two offices, eliminates 16 staffers in response to Trump
Ohio State University will shutter two campus offices focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and eliminate more than a dozen staff positions as a result of Trump administration directives.
President Ted Carter announced the changes during Thursday afternoon's University Senate meeting.
"I know the changes we're sharing today and those that may come will likely disappoint many in our campus community, and I understand that," Carter said. "None of these are taken easily and none of these decisions were made quickly."
The public meeting is typically only attended by elected senators and a few other guests. But the auditorium inside Drinko Hall was packed Thursday with students, faculty, staff and administrators, including dozens of undergraduates students representing The Morrill Scholarship Program and the Young Scholars Program. Others were turned away at the door because there were not enough seats inside.
Ohio State's Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Belonging and Social Change will have 60 days to sunset its programs and services beginning Friday.
The Office of Institutional Equity, which oversees compliance of areas like Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act, will be renamed the Office of Civil Rights Compliance. That office will continue to receive, investigate and resolve all reports of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct.
Students with scholarships offered through these offices will not lose their financial aid because of these changes, though there could be adjustments made to eligibility for future applicants. The Morrill Scholarship Program and the Young Scholars Program, two scholarships offered through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will not be impacted by these changes.
"No student will be disadvantaged by these announcements," Carter said.
Sixteen professional staff positions between these offices will be eliminated over the next 60 days. Student employees will not be affected. Eliminated staff who are interested in other positions at the university will receive help to find new employment.
Carter said the changes announced Thursday are "initial steps" and might not be the last.
"This is not something we initiated, this is something coming from the federal government," Carter said.
Carter told Ohio State's Board of Trustees last week that the university anticipated new leadership at the state and federal government would bring changes.
Ohio State launched a webpage to post updates and information on legislative and executive actions at all levels of government that impact the university community. This resource will continue to be updated and currently includes guidance on federally funded research, DEI programs and immigration.
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The changes come as a direct result of several mandates from the Trump administration to wipe DEI practices from colleges and universities.
President Donald Trump has signed more than 110 executive actions to date, said Stacy Rastauskas, Ohio State's vice president for government affairs. It is a number that is historic in pace and activity, she said.
In a "Dear Colleague" letter sent on Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Education gave schools an ultimatum: Eliminate "race-based decision-making" from their campuses by the end of the month or risk losing federal funding.
Schools must stop considering race in "decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life," according to the letter.
The letter's basis was built on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, that overturned the use of race-conscious admissions practices at colleges and universities. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said the scope of the court's decision also extends to areas like hiring decisions or awarding financial aid.
Losing federal dollars, Carter said, means the university would "cease to exist."
Anne Garcia, Ohio State's general counsel, said Thursday that a group sued the Education Department, claiming the letter infringes on the First Amendment.
"While they are not the law, they are guidance," Garcia said, as the Office for Civil Rights uses the guidelines to initiate investigations and punish institutions.
College DEI: Ohio colleges and universities are cutting DEI programs, staff. Here's what we know
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost previously agreed with a broader interpretation of the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision. Days after the decision dropped, Yost sent a memo to Ohio college and university leaders that they must adhere to the court's ruling with "strict scrutiny," including getting rid of any 'disguised race-conscious admissions." Failure to do so could make them personally liable to litigation.
Yost specifically told university general counsels in January 2024 that compliance with the ruling also includes scholarships.
Although the letter applies to all schools that receive federal funding — including K-12 districts, preschools and state educational agencies — the directive is likely to hit hardest at universities.
Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.
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@sheridan120
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State to close two DEI offices, eliminate 16 staff positions
