Thy Vo

(Illustration)

The presidential administration’s arrival at the White House in January sent waves throughout the country as President Donald Trump signed various executive orders. One of Trump’s targets has been diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in schools and businesses that receive federal funding. 

While many of Trump’s orders are facing legal challenges, uncertainty has arisen at Wichita State and other public universities about what initiatives are and aren’t at risk. 

“There is no easy answer here,” WSU president Richard Muma said at a recent town hall meeting for faculty and staff. “Like most people, we’re not really clear what is going to happen next.”

‘Dear Colleague’: Eliminate DEI

On Feb. 14, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights circulated a letter to educational institutions. 

The “Dear Colleague” letter advises colleges and universities on how to handle federal orders against DEI initiatives. In short, its directive is to follow Trump’s orders. 

The letter urges institutions to immediately stop initiatives meant to further diversity, equity and inclusion, including using race as a factor in admissions, financial aid and hiring. 

“Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible,” the letter reads. “In recent years, American educational institutions have discriminated against students on the basis of race, including white and Asian students, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and low-income families. These institutions’ embrace of pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and other forms of racial discrimination have emanated throughout every facet of academia.”

In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, saying it violated the constitution. This meant that universities receiving federal funding could not use race as a factor in admissions, but many in higher education worry the “Dear Colleague” letter may reach beyond affirmative action.

Lainie Mazzullo-Hart, Wichita State’s director for Strategic Communications, said the university has been adapting some of its policies to adhere to the legal changes. 

“While many potential changes are still under review, the university’s efforts to remove race-based factors from its programs, including its scholarships, has been an ongoing effort that originated following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Schools for Fair Admissions v. Harvard,” Mazzullo-Hart wrote in an email.   

What initiatives could be affected?

Laws cutting back on DEI initiatives are not new. In addition to the affirmative action case, a law passed last year by the Kansas legislature prohibits universities from requiring DEI statements in hiring and financial aid considerations. 

At the Jan. 27 town hall, Muma addressed concerns about executive orders and the letter. 

“These orders and the ‘Dear Colleague’ letter from the Department of Education could ultimately impact some of the programs we have,” Muma said. “We don’t have any evidence that we need to do anything currently.” 

Wichita State merged its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership in August, creating the Office of Student Engagement & Belonging. The University of Kansas made a similar merge of some of its diversity-related offices in September, which was met with protest from some students who worried about losing resources. 

Gabriel Fonseca, the director of Student Engagement & Belonging, said the merger at WSU was a practical choice because the two offices already had similar programs, and the consolidation was not related to anti-DEI legislation.

Mazzullo-Hart said the merger provided an opportunity for the university.

“Student Engagement and Belonging’s expansion provided an opportunity to expand its focus to emphasize belonging and highlight shared experiences rather than differences,” Mazzullo-Hart wrote in an email.

SEB maintains many of the initiatives previously run by ODI. They include groups for students with a variety of identities and graduation ceremonies including a Multicultural Graduation, at which the university “recognizes multicultural students,” and Lavender Graduation, where LGBTQ+ graduates are recognized. 

Muma pointed to commencement ceremonies as potentially being impacted by the new restrictions and advice from the Department of Education, although he said the university is not currently planning to change anything “until we hear anything different.” 

It’s unclear if student groups will be affected, but Fonseca said all students are welcome to participate in programs run through the SEB office, as they do not discriminate based on race, culture or other factors.

“We have done some work in the past couple years to really make sure that our programs and services are open to all students, and that even though there may be focus areas in some of our programs and services, we want them to be an opportunity for everyone to be exposed to a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, etc.,” Fonseca said. 

Muma added that the university’s general counsel is keeping a close eye on federal actions and the lawsuits against them, and “is in the process of assessing current positions, programs and policies that we have.”

Ultimately, Muma said, “We will have to follow the law.” 

Fonseca encouraged WSU students with questions or concerns to reach out to the SEB office, adding that questions from students can even help leadership know what changes or policies to look at.

“I want our students to know that … we’ll continue to do the work that we’re doing and that we’ll continue to be advocating for our students and the needs that they have, and ultimately meeting those objectives as well,” Fonseca said. “And you know, to stay engaged with us. Stay focused with us, to stay present and again, to ask questions or to seek clarification on things.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from a version in a print edition of The Sunflower. It includes statements Mazzullo-Hart.