IU Bows To The Right And Preemptively Closes DEI Office, Removes BLM Banner

In a press release titled: “IU affirms student success focus, takes steps to comply with state and federal guidance,” IU announced the “sunset” of the office of DEI:

To further ensure compliance with state and federal guidance, the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will sunset, effective today. The university is also directing campuses, schools and units to take necessary steps to ensure compliance with state and federal policies and guidance.

While the press release indicates that this is being done to comply with state and federal rules, there is actually no rule requiring IU to do this. The Indiana state legislature recently passed an anti-DEI bill that was signed by the governor, but there is no mandate requiring DEI to be removed from schools. From the IndyStar:

The session's landmark DEI bill started out as a blanket ban on DEI concepts, trainings and even offices within state institutions, including colleges… In the House, the bill scaled back significantly, focusing no longer on offices or curriculum and instead on prohibiting "actions" ― hiring and firing, enrolling and providing or denying aid, rewarding or penalizing a person, granting or denying a license.

President Trump issued two Executive Orders purportedly ordering the closing of all DEI offices at educational institutions. But those were issued just after his inauguration and their constitutionality is still being challenged in the courts. Why would the University choose to comply with those EOs at this point?

Days later, as Mirror Indy reported, IU Indianapolis campus removed the BLM banner from a prominent walkway.

Is this a sign that IU is no longer pretending to care about diversity and safety of its students?

This whole thing also serves as another example of IU’s lack of communication with the public or its community. In an IndyStar article about the cuts, IU had nothing more to say about it:

IU did not answer IndyStar questions regarding potential layoffs, dismantled programs and status of scholarships. IU spokesperson Mark Bode instead directed the Star to the earlier announcement.

University Alicance for Racial Justice organizer Russ Skiba sent a letter to Provost Shrivastav requesting clarification:

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Dear Provost Shrivastav and General Counsel Prather,

The sudden and unexpected decision to “sunset” the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (OVPDEI) is causing concern and a great deal of confusion across the IUB campus, particularly among IU students and faculty served by that office. A number of questions were left unanswered by yesterday’s release. It would be most helpful if you could please provide answers to these questions:

1. The statement said that the OVPDEI office will sunset effective yesterday.

   1. What does the term “sunset” mean in this context? Does this mean complete termination or closure? Is it temporary or permanent?

   2. Typically, a sunset provision means that a date has been set a priori for consideration of whether a program, office or initiative will be allowed to

      continue. Had a date been set previously for the termination of OVPDEI?

2. What does the sunsetting mean for the staff of the OVPDEI office?

   1. Are there any staff in the office, including the Vice President, who have been or will be terminated as a result of this decision? How many?

   2. Will the Vice President and/or his staff be transferred to other offices? How

      many staff will be transferred?

3. The press release states that the action to close the OVPDEI office was to “ensure the university is fully compliant with state and federal laws and guidance regarding diversity, equity and inclusion.” To which pieces of federal or state law and guidance does this refer?

   1. Are there any specific provisions currently in force in state law with which the

      University needs to comply at this particular time that would require the closure of OVPDEI?

   2. Which specific pieces of federal law or guidance formed the basis of this

      decision?

   3. The OVPDEI page and any mention of that office have as of today been scrubbed from the Indiana University website. Which pieces of federal or state law or guidance required that action?

4. Did you find any cause within the program itself for its termination?

   1. Have there any examples of ineffectiveness of the office that led to this

      termination?

   2. Have there been any examples of behavior on the part of the Vice President or

      other staff within OVPDEI that provided cause for this termination?

5. The services provided by OVPDEI were previously viewed as critical to the University’s mission and were often the subject of recognition by this Administration.

   1. Can you say specifically how the full range of services provided to the campus, in particular those provided to students and faculty from marginalized groups, will be carried out in the absence of the OVPDEI office?

   2. Can you say specifically how the full range of services provided to the campus, in particular those provided to students and faculty from marginalized groups, will be carried out in the absence of the OVPDEI office?

I appreciate your attention to this. I believe your answers could help allay, if not all the concerns, at least some of the confusion. Thank you.

Most sincerely,

Russ Skiba

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If he ever gets a response, we will update.