The future of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at higher education institutions has been called into question since Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States. On the way to the presidency, then president-elect Trump promised to end DEI on day one, and shortly after inauguration on January 20, the Trump administration sought to end all federal DEI programs, according to an executive order published by the White House. Later, on January 27, the Office of Management and Budget published memo M-25-13, which ordered a federal funding freeze on many programs in order to cooperate with the aforementioned executive order. Though the funding freeze was later reversed in courts, it was clear that Trump administration was serious in doing everything within the power to fight DEI initiatives.
And so it was. On February 14, 2025, the acting secretary for the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Education published a “dear colleague” style letter, which threatened all higher education institution’s federal funds if they utilize DEI initiatives. The letter ends with a 14-day time frame for which higher education institutions must meet these demands, and a link to the Department of Education’s OCR discrimination complaint form.
This immediately brings up the question of the fate of Illinois Tech’s DEI committee. For those unaware, Illinois Tech has hosted and maintained a DEI committee that met monthly with the president of the university. They have curated an event calendar celebrating various cultures at Illinois Tech, including a recognition of Black History Month, Cancer Awareness Month, and others. Staff have also been required to take DEI training as part of their employment at Illinois Tech. So, what will happen to the DEI committee and the required DEI training?
I reached out to a spokesperson for the university (who wishes to remain anonymous) for more information. While I didn’t get exact answers to my questions, I did get a few bits of information that lead me to believe that there are at least attempts to keep celebrating the core ideas of DEI. On this point, the spokesperson said “[the] backgrounds, experiences and perspectives of the whole Illinois Tech global community greatly enhance our pursuit of knowledge and make the university stronger.” However, seemingly as a response to my questions about the fate of the DEI committee specifically, it was stated “[the] university will continue to celebrate these contributions while always staying within the parameters of the law.” While the “dear colleague” letter isn’t law by any means, I worried that actions by the Department of Education might define the parameters in which Illinois Tech works within.
I was not satisfied with this initial answer, so I pressed on a bit more. I tried to be more specific with my questions, and while I got mostly the same answer, I did get a bit more information with that made me a bit more hopeful. From the spokesperson, “the DEI committee will continue its important work.” How this will play out without attracting possible retaliation from the Department of Education remains yet to be seen, but it seems fairly evident that at least for the time being, Illinois Tech does plan to continue the essential missions of the DEI committee. A recent university-wide communication by President Echambadi seems to further this sentiment, reaffirming the sentiment of the Illinois Tech campuses as a safe and welcoming environment for all students. As the Trump administration continues to develop its domestic policy and test the waters, it is likely that the university will have to continue to adapt, but with the people currently in administration, I am cautiously optimistic that some attempts will be made to maintain a diverse global community at Illinois Tech.