Harvard University announced Monday it has renamed its Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and is refocusing its mission, just a week after suing the Trump administration over what it called government overreach.
The office will now be known as the Office of Community and Campus Life. A campus-wide email said the renamed office “will redouble its emphasis” on supporting low-income and first-generation students, and “opportunities to engage across difference.”
“Together, we can shape a Harvard anchored in excellence, animated by difference, and strengthened by shared purpose,” wrote Sherri Ann Charlestown, formerly titled Harvard’s chief diversity officer and now the school’s chief community and campus life officer.
Also on Monday, the university said it will no longer provide financial support for affinity group graduation ceremonies.
The Trump administration has demanded that Harvard and other selective institutions dismantle DEI programs or risk losing billions in federal funding. Last week, Harvard filed a lawsuit challenging a $2.2 billion funding freeze, and drew praise from students, faculty, alumni and advocacy groups for standing firm and refusing to comply with a variety of Trump administration mandates.
But some on campus now worry the university is quietly retreating.
“There’s a concern that while Harvard is putting on an outwardly brave face that they may be quietly capitulating to some of the Trump administration’s demands,” said Harvard government professor Ryan Enos. “That is concerning because what it means is that it’s not deciding these issues based on the merits of the issue, but just because of political pressure.”
A Harvard spokesperson declined to comment on the Office of Community and Campus Life or broader changes at the university.
Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, said she understands why some students and faculty may be let down by these administrative decisions after seeing the university file its lawsuit, but suggested “it may be premature to assume that the change in the name represents a substantive backing away from its mission, its values, its commitment.”
Looking forward, Granberry Russell said it will be important for Harvard to engage with the campus community to understand perspectives and ensure that advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion remains a priority despite ongoing threats.
