DETROIT — The University of Michigan is immediately shutting down two offices and an effort dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion, and shifting the resources to other student programs, university officials said Thursday, after the Trump administration had threatened to cut off funding.

The email announcement by top UM officials, including President Santa Ono, said UM is closing its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion as well as discontinuing its DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan. The moves came as the university has taken other actions, such as ending diversity statements in faculty hiring, in a bid to stop "litmus tests" that restrict the diversity of thought.

It is unclear how many people are employed at UM in DEI work, but the conservative Heritage Foundation ranked UM in 2021 as having the most DEI staff members in the nation, with 163 employees. The regents told The Detroit News the number has since grown, but they are not sure by how much.

A report in 2024 by The New York Times on UM’s DEI initiatives estimated them to cost $250 million. UM Chief Diversity Officer Tabbye Chavous later said the New York Times story was “filled with misinformation, disinformation and, sadly, sexism.”

UM officials said Thursday they will shift the DEI resources to programs for students, "such as financial aid, mental health resources, pre-professional counseling and other efforts that strengthen community, promote a sense of belonging and expand accessibility."

"These decisions have not been made lightly. We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting," said the message, which also was signed by Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Marschall Runge, executive vice president for medical affairs; and Geoffrey Chatas, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

"We are deeply grateful for the meaningful contributions of leaders, faculty and staff who have advanced our ongoing efforts to create an ever-more inclusive and respectful community."

But Robert Sellers, the James S. Jackson distinguished professor of psychology and an education professor at the University of Michigan, said he was extremely disappointed, angry and bewildered at the university’s decision.

"The university has framed diversity, equity and inclusion as a core set of values that resulted in many, many, many efforts that have been successful at the university to make it more welcoming," Sellers said Thursday. "Every particular measure of importance the university has increased as its diversity increased."

On X, UM Regent Sarah Hubbard posted a tweet announcing the change as she noted that the regents ended the use of diversity statements in faculty hiring, which is "now expanded university wide and statements related to a person’s identity or commitment to DEI will no longer be solicited or considered in admissions, hiring, promotion, awards or reviews for faculty and staff." Hubbard supported the move as a way to promote ideological diversity on campus.

"We are eliminating bureaucratic overspending and making Michigan more accessible," the Republican regent said. "I will continue to push for even greater financial support for talented students with financial need."

Derek Peterson, a UM history professor and member of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, called the decisions "a pretty dramatic policy change put through without any attempt to engage faculty government."

"It's a capitulation, an embarrassment, a departure from our mission as a university," Peterson said. "It turns the university's back on what we thought were core values of this institution in the name of expediency."

UM's moves followed a mid-February Trump administration order giving Michigan schools and universities until the end of the month to dump diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money.

In a memo to educational institutions, the U.S. Education Department gave an ultimatum to stop using “racial preferences” as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas. Schools were given 14 days to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race or lose their eligibility for federal money.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported it has since tracked DEI changes at 270 college campuses in 38 states.

The move in the progressive Ann Arbor community on Thursday sparked a backlash. Some students, such as junior Pragya Choudhary, said they feel betrayed by the university.

"How do you say you're removing the office of DEI, but pledging to continue all of these things as if that's not what the office of DEI was there for?" said Choudhary, who was in class when he heard the news. "How are you going to say that 'Oh, we'll still have these cultural events,' when clearly we're not going to, because you're getting rid of the office that would help us put those events on?"

Choudhary chose to attend UM because the university celebrated diversity and he had hoped this would continue. In his first address to the university community in 2022, Ono pledged his commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts, promising to invest in and develop staff.

"This is, it's flying in the face of every value I held this university to. My heart is broken," Choudhary said.

The UM's Thursday email acknowledged progress since the launch of the university's DEI strategic plan in 2016. First-generation undergraduate students have increased 46%, while undergraduate Pell recipients rose more than 32%, driven in part by programs such as the Go Blue Guarantee free tuition program and Wolverine Pathways, a free college readiness course offered by seventh through 12th graders in poorer areas such as Detroit and Ypsilanti, according to UM officials.

"Over the course of our strategic efforts, we have heard strong pride in the university's support for student-facing programs," the UM message said. "We have also heard concerns about the balance of resources between administration and direct student support. Some in our campus community have voiced frustration that they did not feel included in DEI initiatives and that the programming fell short in fostering connections among diverse groups."

University web pages will be evaluated for compliance with federal executive orders and guidance, UM's Thursday news release said, and the university's general counsel will start an "expedited review" to make sure policies, programs and practices comply with federal law.

UM professor Sellers said he found it particularly disappointing that the university insinuated that DEI programs were not as successful as the data shows.

"If they choose to run and hide from DEI, at least have the courage to say they're running and hiding from DEI," Sellers said.

Moving forward, the decision to disband DEI efforts will affect the university's ability to serve the broader state of Michigan, he said.

"This is how we like to refer to ourselves as 'leaders and best,' when, in fact, we are not leading and we are definitely not the best," Sellers said.

Savings from the shuttering of the two DEI offices will be used for the Go Blue Guarantee and go to families with incomes of $125,000 or less as well as to expand efforts like the Blavin Scholars Program, which helps undergraduate students who have experienced foster care or kinship care, according to the UM release.

The university will also maintain multicultural student spaces and residence halls like the Trotter Multicultural Center and the Spectrum Center for gender and sexuality resources.

Another initiative is to explore ways to help student achievement through "improved advising, counseling and pre-professional guidance, as well as continue investing in innovative approaches, such as 24/7 AI tutors and a personal AI assistant for every member of the community," the university said.

Hubbard emphasized that there are benefits to ending the DEI offices and moving the money elsewhere.

"Ending DEI programs will also allow us to better expand diversity of thought and free speech on our campus," the regent said. "The end of litmus test hiring and curtailment of speech stops now. People from all walks of life, representing a variety of ideologies, will be welcome at Michigan.

Among the moves was the UM board's decision in October to adopt an institutional neutrality policy that prohibits university officials from taking a stance on political or social issues unless they are related to the internal governance of the university. Critics disagreed, saying university policy-making requires leaders to take stances on issues.

"As we move forward with creation of the Institute on Civil Discourse, I look forward to hosting a variety of perspectives on campus," Hubbard said. "Today’s announcement follows a number of policy and process changes that are making our campus safer and stronger as a place of learning and academic excellence. I’m honored to be a leader at this amazing institution."

(Staff writer Max Reinhart contributed.)

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