The University of Michigan is scrapping its once-vaunted program for diversity, equity and inclusion as the Trump administration pressures colleges to abandon such efforts and after months of criticism over its cost and effectiveness.
The school said it would discontinue its so-called DEI 2.0 plan effective immediately, according to a statement on Thursday. It will instead increase investments in “student-facing programs,” such as financial aid, mental health resources and pre-professional counseling.
“These decisions have not been made lightly. We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting,” said President Santa J. Ono and other administrators in the statement.
Colleges have been pulling back diversity efforts after President Donald Trump and the administration threatened to withhold funds from institutions that don’t comply with executive orders. The Michigan program, once viewed as a model for other schools, had also come under scrutiny for its size and shunning other groups before Trump was elected.
“Some in our campus community have voiced frustration that they did not feel included in DEI initiatives and that the programming fell short in fostering connections among diverse groups,” the administrators said.
Michigan’s decision comes almost two years after the Supreme Court banned consideration of race in university admissions. Corporate America is also scaling back or abandoned DEI efforts, reversing commitments made after the murder of George Floyd by a White policeman in 2020.
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