(The Center Square) – In response to federal directives banning diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, the University of Southern California revised its value of DEI and took down its Office of Inclusion and Diversity webpage – though former diversity officers are still working for the school under different titles.
“Our previous value of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has been updated to Community,” a university statement obtained by The Center Square said.
The University of Southern California (USC) is a private school with a student population near 50,000, as stated on its website.
A value of “Community” according to the USC statement, is “where we recognize our differences as strengths, focus on professional development and responsibilities, and reinforce our commitment to diversity in thought and background where ideas are vigorously researched and debated.”
“USC’s programs and practices are routinely reviewed to ensure they both reflect the values of our university community and comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including evolving federal legal guidance,” the statement said.
“The USC community comprises individuals from every walk of life, unified around a common pursuit of excellence – in academics, research, creative practice, and medical care – all for the public good,” the statement said.
USC’s actions to revise its DEI-related practices comes after executive orders from President Donald Trump as well as a Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education.
An executive order made on Jan. 20 announced the “termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government.”
Another executive order made on Jan. 21 aims to likewise terminate “illegal discrimination in the federal government” and to encourage “the private sector to end illegal DEI discrimination and preferences.”
The Feb. 14 Education Department’s Dear Colleague letter states that race-based decisions in education are unlawful, and schools that do not comply with the letter’s requirements may face loss of funding.
USC President Carol Folt said in a message late in February that “moving forward, we will continue to review our programs and practices to ensure both that their direct relationship to our academic mission is clear, and that we comply fully with evolving legal requirements.”
A Frequently Asked Questions webpage stated that USC was reviewing its DEI-related programs and practices in order “to clarify the intent of our programs and practices, strengthen their effectiveness, and ensure alignment with our compliance obligations in light of recent executive orders and agency guidance.”
Sometime in late February, then, USC’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity ceased to operate, as observed on internet archives.
“We’ve joined forces with the Culture Team,” the Inclusion and Diversity webpage now reads, directing viewers to the USC Culture Journey website.
According to its webpage, the Culture Team “sits within the Office of Culture, Ethics, and Compliance” and aims to “drive positive culture change at USC.”
Former USC inclusion and diversity officers are now on the USC Culture Team under different titles, as observed on the Culture Team’s webpage and an internet archive of the Office for Inclusion and Diversity.
In regards to why webpages related to diversity and inclusion were taken down, the USC statement obtained by The Center Square said that, “we regularly update our web pages to ensure they accurately reflect what we do.”
“These changes were made to establish a clearer tie between the values and USC’s academic, research, and healthcare mission,” the statement said.
USC’s mission is outlined as the following according to the statement: “all for the public good; to be responsive to evolving federal legal guidance; to be precise and unambiguous in our commitment to maintaining a campus culture in which every Trojan is valued, respected, and supported, reinforced by our commitment to diversity in thought and background where ideas are vigorously debated; and to implement selected areas of feedback received from the USC community through the 2024 Culture Survey and Discussion Sessions.”
