A week after Indiana University shuttered its diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programming, Purdue University has followed suit.
Purdue University Provost Patrick J. Wolfe announced Friday that school is sunsetting all DEI activities and initiatives in response to executive orders and policies passed at the federal and state level.
Purdue will close its Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging and related activities in colleges and departments. Staff members working in these areas will have the opportunity to interview for current vacancies in other areas.
Purdue’s Minority Engineering Program and the Dr. Cornell A. Bell Business Opportunity Program, which assist minority students entering the engineering and business fiels, will be rolled into the Boilermaker Opportunity Program Plus (BOP+) in the Office of the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management.
Indiana University and its regional campuses shut down diversity, equity and inclusion offices on May 26.
Within his first two days in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order called for dismantling federal DEI programs. Another order ended affirmative action in federal contracting and directed layoffs for federal diversity, equity and inclusion staffers.
Trump labeled them as “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.”
GOP states, including Indiana, have followed with similar bans on DEI programs. Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order banning DEI initiatives in state government offices on his second day in office.
In addition, he signed Senate Bill 289, which prohibits mandatory DEI training in K-12 schools and limits DEI programs in state universities. The law also allows individuals to sue public schools for DEI policies and programs.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Todd Rokita sent a letter to the University of Notre Dame claiming its DEI policies may violate state and federal law.
Ball State University and Ivy Tech Community College have already eliminated DEI programs in response to GOP edicts.
Freelance reporter Carole Carlson contributed.
