In states where DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) offices have been defunded or banned, many universities aren’t backing down—they’re rebranding.
Across the country, public colleges and universities are responding to political pressure by stripping “DEI” from signage, job titles, and office names. But the mission to support student belonging, wellness, and access for all continues; it just looks different.
In Utah, a 2024 law known as HB 261 prohibits the use of DEI-related terms in public institutions. At Utah Valley University (UVU), the “Office of Inclusion and Diversity” was renamed and its signage removed. But according to UVU President Astrid Tuminez, the university remains committed to ensuring all members “are seen, valued, welcomed, respected, included, represented, and heard,” as quoted in The Salt Lake Tribune.
It’s part of a larger trend. In states such as Florida, Texas, and Virginia, public universities are adopting new frameworks to ensure all students feel welcome and can be successful in “Wellness,” “access,” “student success,” and “community care” are now common areas of focus instead.
At the University of Central Florida, the former DEI office is now the Department of Access and Community Engagement. According to Central Florida Public Media, the change was accompanied by eliminating the vice president of DEI role and restructuring under a broader student engagement model.
The approach is strategic and critical
Messaging as a Tool for Continuation
As of March 2025, more than 30 state legislatures had introduced, voted on, or enacted legislation to limit DEI offices, programs, or training in public higher education. Some of these laws restrict the use of race or identity in scholarships, support programs, hiring, or employee training, forcing universities to find new avenues to continue this work.
George Mason University in Virginia recently renamed its DEI division the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community after state-level scrutiny. According to The Washington Post, the university is also reviewing whether to end all race-based student programming not explicitly required by federal law.
Rice University, a private institution in Texas, rebranded its office as the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence. The office now supports areas such as religious inclusion, student access, and LGBTQ+ thriving, according to its updated mission statement and reporting by The Texas Tribune.
From Language to Impact
Although some critics accuse these moves of being purely cosmetic, experts argue that language—while important—isn’t the most critical part of building campus belonging.
According to a 2023 Gallup and Lumina Foundation study, students with a strong sense of belonging are twice as likely to report positive well-being, academic success, and persistence toward graduation. These outcomes are shaped less by office titles and more by campus culture and individual experiences.
“Students aren’t asking what our office is called,” said Reed. “They’re asking if someone on campus knows their name, understands their experience, and has their back.”
Programs that focus on peer mentorship, relevant pedagogy, inclusive teaching, and cultural student organizations remain essential to this mission—even when bundled under new language.
“Belonging is created in the classroom, in the dorms, and in every office that listens first and labels second,” said Dr. Rashida Green, a higher education consultant and former DEI director. “Language helps, but what students feel is what sticks.”
Balancing Risk and Responsibility
Many administrators are walking a tightrope between institutional values and political realities. For public colleges dependent on state funding or fearful of federal scrutiny, these semantic changes are more than aesthetic.
At the University of Michigan, concerns over possible funding loss prompted leadership to end its longstanding diversity commitment and shut down its DEI central office. But in a public memo, the university said it would invest instead in expanded financial aid, multicultural student spaces, and inclusive events—channels through which belonging could still flourish.
“I know that naming it something else can be the difference between serving students—or not serving them at all,” said Green.
As students continue to seek safety, support, and connection, universities are finding creative ways to answer that call, no matter what the sign on the door says.
