Staff’s ‘ day-to-day labor has not changed,’ professor says
The University of Maine is the latest school to shut its diversity, equity, and inclusion company following President Donald Trump’s professional order banning La plans funded by the federal government.
” In consideration of the recent executive order by the Trump Administration”, UMaine “officially renamed the Office of Diversity and Inclusion ( ODI) to the Office of Community Connections ( OCC)”, The Maine Campus reported.
ODI recently hosted closed activities for kids of specific populations, such as Women of Color Wednesday and LGBTQ Game Night. Although most courses were open to all students, the business is no longer permitted to manage or promote activities targeting specific organizations.
The company also recently offered time products, contraceptives, maternity assessments, and Plan B. Then, “pregnancy tests and Plan B will only be applicable at the Scholar Wellness Resource Center, although this shift is reportedly related to the professional DEI buy”, the student newspaper reported.
The major change is the language used to describe the business and its related agencies, including the Cultural Scholar Center, the Rainbow Resource Center, and the Intersectional Feminist Resource Center.
OD I’s website stated that it aimed to support” students from historically underrepresented identities, including but not limited to gender, race, gender identity, religion, race, capacity, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic position, and others”. This language has since been removed.
Now, the OCC’s website , states that” By integrating student support, education, and community-building, the office creates meaningful opportunities for collaboration and personal growth”.
Interim Dean of Students Andrea Gifford said at a student reception on March 6 that discussions about rebranding the ODI had been underway prior to Trump’s executive order banning DEI, the student newspaper reported.
” The three lounge areas that we have that are student lounges in the Union, their names have not changed, their purpose has not changed. The office, and the staff and the students that are dedicated to working there, their day-to-day work has not changed”, Gifford said.
” My words to people are ‘ Try not focusing so much on the words, and focus on the work.’ That is not changing”, she said.
This shift comes after a federal investigation into Maine’s stance on men competing in women’s sports was launched, jeopardizing the school’s funding.
The investigation was triggered by Governor Janet Mills ‘ comments at the White House on Feb. 21, suggesting she would not follow Trump’s orders. With a significant portion of the university’s funding at stake, the ODI quickly made changes.
Similarly, the University of Southern California recently shuttered its DEI office. However, the university continues to offer racially themed graduation parties and dorm sections for black, Latino and LGBTQ students, The College Fix previously reported.
MORE: West Point disbands 12 student groups following Trump’s DEI executive order
IMAGE: The University of Maine/Youtube
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