The University of the Pacific vowed this week to stand by campus diversity, equity and inclusion efforts even as the Trump administration threatens to withhold federal funding to campuses that refuse to end the policies.
“We will not change our mission, principles or values in anticipation of things that may or may not become reality at some point in time,” UOP President Christopher Callahan said in a letter to the campus community. “Simply put, we will continue to stay our course.”
Callahan said the Stockton-based university will continue to abide by six guiding “core values,” one of which states that diversity and inclusion are critical to bringing greater richness to the campus experience and encouraging respect for differences between individuals.
On its website, UOP continues to prominently feature its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as setting the tone for “a model antiracist university.” It says UOP aims to be a national leader in DEI in higher education.
In his message, Callahan singled out administrators dealing with the often-conflicting orders and policies coming from the new White House administration. One is Mary Lomax-Ghirarduzzi, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, who “continues her outstanding work across our campuses, including this month’s exceptional Black History Month.”
Callahan noted that some universities around the nation are starting to rethink DEI in response to the edicts out of Washington.
“We see other U.S. colleges and universities pre-emptively changing their practices around inclusion, access and diversity while other schools are imposing immediate budget cuts and hiring freezes in anticipation of potential reductions to research grants and other federal funding,” he wrote.
West Virginia University announced Jan. 31 it is closing its WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, acting on an executive order from Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who warned of the “need to eradicate the woke virus in the schools.” Missouri State University also said it is ending its DEI programs. The Arizona Republic reported that the University of Arizona is “assessing” its DEI programs.
The Trump administration warned the nation’s schools and universities they have two weeks to eliminate DEI programs or they could lose federal funding, the Associated Press reported. In its “Dear Colleague” letter dated Feb. 14, the Department of Education said “racial preferences” cannot be used in admissions, hiring, distribution of financial aid or other institutional programming.
In his missive this week, Callahan raises the specter that the University of the Pacific could potentially lose funding.
He said Provost Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert is in contact with faculty whose federal funds could be at risk. And Maria Blandizzi, vice president for student life, is working on issues that directly support individual students, he added.
Though these are “uncertain times,” Callahan said the university is trying to work with congressional leaders to protect federal research and service grants.