Cornell Joins Growing List of Universities Opting To Rebrand, Rather Than Retract, DEI Offices

Cornell University is the latest institution of higher learning to play the name game when it comes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by rebranding the department tasked with such efforts and still employing the policies despite executive orders from President Trump.To skirt the executive branch DEI edicts, the Ivy League institution is officially changing the name of its Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives to the Office of Academic Discovery and Impact, university officials announced in an email message sent to staffers Friday.The new name “aligns with the OADI mission and vision and the key goals of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education 一 curiosity and connection,” according to the email message, which was obtained by the Cornell Daily Sun.“The new OADI emerged as a way for students to see themselves in our space be they first generation, low income, foster youth, Veterans, non-traditional, transfer, students from diverse backgrounds and/or any other student that finds space in our community,” the email reads.Cornell briefly eliminated DEI language along with discrimination resources from its Equal Education and Employment Opportunity Statement in March but soon restored the statement to nearly its previous form, characterizing the initial changes as an administrative mistake.“Our commitment to equal opportunity remains steadfast,” a university representative wrote in an email message to the Cornell Daily Sun.Cornell is following the path of scores of other institutions of higher learning across the country, using rebranding as a tactic to comply with anti-DEI directives.While many universities, like the University of Texas in Austin, chose to shutter their DEI offices outright, a large number opted to revamp theirs instead, keeping the same staffers and their missions intact. In total, 87 schools across the country have renamed their DEI offices, according to a survey from the College Fix.In April, Harvard University renamed its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to the much simpler Office for Community and Campus Life.“In the weeks and months ahead, we will take steps to make this change concrete and to work with all of Harvard’s schools and units to implement these vital objectives, including shared efforts to reexamine and reshape the missions and programs of offices across the university,” a campus-wide email message from the school’s chief Community and Campus Life Officer, Sherri A. Charleston, said in announcing the change.In February, Rice University rebranded its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence. Vice Provost Alexander Byrd said in a statement at the time to the Rice Thresher that the school chose the new name to better reflect the larger scope of the department.“Members of the office reflected on the mission of the office and the work that we do and then explored and discussed a number of names,” he said. “The new name, the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence, reflects the breadth of the work that the office engages in to ensure that all Rice students can realize their full potential and find community at the university, regardless of their backgrounds.”

Cornell Joins Growing List of Universities Opting To Rebrand, Rather Than Retract, DEI Offices

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