Report finds hundreds of DEI offices rebranded and still active across U.S. universities

In the face of mounting political and legal pressure, the infrastructure supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across higher education remains deeply rooted — and in some cases, rebranded — according to a new report released Wednesday by the nonprofit organization Defending Education.

The report, titled "University DEI: Status Quo and Rebrands," found that more than 356 DEI offices and programs are currently active across 253 colleges and universities in the United States. Despite increasing scrutiny from lawmakers and guidance from the White House discouraging DEI initiatives, the study revealed that 237 institutions still operate at least one institution-wide DEI office or program.

While some universities have reduced or restructured their DEI efforts, only 16 institutions have removed DEI webpages or fully shut down DEI offices. An additional 26 universities have rebranded their DEI operations using alternate language such as “belonging,” “resilience,” or “access,” rather than eliminating them.

“Despite an unequivocal directive from the White House to cease ‘DEI’ practices, too many institutions of higher education have sought to send their race essentialism underground,” said Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education. “Our work in this space will not cease until American higher education is returned to the promise of color-blindness that the civil rights leaders of the 1960s sought to secure.”

DEI by Another Name

The report highlights a trend among universities that have not eliminated DEI offices but instead repackaged them under different terminology. The University of Tulsa, for instance, changed its “Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” to the “Office for Resilience and Belonging.” While the content of the office's webpage remains largely the same, key terms like “equity” and “diverse” were removed.

Similar shifts occurred at Kansas State University, where the “Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging” became simply “Access and Opportunity.” McNeese State University in Louisiana rebranded its “Office of Inclusive Excellence” as the “Office of Campus Compliance and Civility.”

Even prestigious institutions like the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California have seemingly removed DEI-specific webpages, only to reincorporate their content into broader programs like the “USC Culture Journey.” Staff previously listed under a DEI office are now part of a “Culture Team,” with the same inclusion-oriented goals presented in a new format.

Ivy League and Major Research Universities Still Invested

All eight Ivy League schools, along with elite institutions like Stanford, Duke, MIT, and the University of Chicago, continue to maintain DEI programs. The report also notes that nearly every campus in the University of California system — from Berkeley and UCLA to smaller campuses like Merced and Santa Cruz — hosts at least one DEI-focused office or division.

Some schools operate multiple DEI initiatives across colleges and departments. For example, New York University maintains DEI offices in its College of Dentistry, Grossman School of Medicine, Tandon School of Engineering, Stern School of Business, and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. NYU also runs a central “Office of Global Inclusion,” which promotes antiracism and inclusive practices through resources like the 1619 Project and White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo.

Not Just Words

In many cases, even as names change, the core functions and priorities of these offices remain the same. At NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine, for example, the institution advertises its commitment to recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups and offers unconscious bias training for faculty and hiring committees. Similar programming persists in many rebranded offices around the country.

Meanwhile, the University of Virginia, University of Michigan, University of Louisville, and West Virginia University have removed at least one of their DEI-related webpages, according to the report. However, it's unclear whether those moves reflect meaningful reductions in DEI programming or simple administrative changes.

An Evolving Landscape

The report by Defending Education offers a non-exhaustive but public-facing database of DEI offices and departments across U.S. higher education institutions. The group plans to update this database regularly, tracking what it sees as attempts to preserve DEI initiatives despite shifting political winds.

While critics argue that DEI programs perpetuate “race essentialism” and seek to “indoctrinate” rather than include, defenders claim they foster greater representation, cultural competency, and student success. With rebranding efforts underway and no consensus on the horizon, the future of DEI in higher education remains uncertain — but far from extinct.