Purdue University is closing its DEI office and ending some related programs, aligning with Indiana University in responding to state and federal directives (Photo Credit: Purdue University).
Purdue Closes DEI Office
According to a university-wide email from Provost Patrick Wolfe obtained by WLFI, Purdue is immediately sunsetting its historical DEI activities and closing the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. Related DEI initiatives in individual colleges and departments will also be phased out.
[RELATED: IU Indianapolis removes Black Lives Matter banner]
Wolfe stated that the restructuring comes “under the authority of our Board of Trustees” and reflects the university’s response to recent federal and state policy developments, which he said made the change “a necessary part of our future as a public university and a state educational institution.”
Purdue closes DEI Office web page
The web page of Purdue’s DEI Office was inaccessible as of publication.
[RELATED: IU Indianapolis to end some DEI programs]
DEI staff eligible to apply for open roles
Affected staff will be eligible to apply for open roles elsewhere within the university. In addition, Purdue is reorganizing several longstanding support programs into a new structure:
- The Minority Engineering Program (MEP) and Business Opportunity Program (BOP) will be combined into a new initiative called Boilermaker Opportunity Program Plus (BOP+), housed in the Office of the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management.
- Cultural centers will remain open and will now operate under the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life, continuing to serve all Purdue students.
The university says these steps reflect its continued commitment to “support for all Boilermakers with discrimination against none,” while refocusing efforts on student success within the framework of its land-grant mission.
Purdue’s announcement follows Indiana University’s recent overhaul of its DEI infrastructure. Earlier this month, IU closed its Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and renamed its Office of Institutional Equity to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance. At IU Indianapolis, the changes resulted in the removal of DEI web pages and the removal of a ‘Black Lives Matter’ banner on campus.