In a recent post on Instagram, Pace University announced they would be changing The Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to the Division of Opportunity and Institutional Excellence (DOIE). This change has sparked major backlash from the Pace community, as seen in the comments section of said post.
It is highly speculated that this change was triggered by President Trump’s threats to DEI programs across the nation, as he issued a series of executive orders targeting these programs during his first week in office. Since then, many universities across America have removed or toned down their respective DEI programs.
Students, faculty, and alumni have expressed their disappointment in Pace’s removal of their DEI program, calling the decision “spineless” and “embarrassing” among many other things. Many view the name change as a submission to Trump’s threats, finding it upsetting that the university backtracked their original pledge to DEI.
“For a school that prides itself on its diverse student population and claims to value multiculturalism, this decision is genuinely baffling,” said Ruth Muriel, a graduate student at Pace. “It is deeply disappointing to see how the university would choose to move against their students rather than stand with them. Marginalized groups in academic settings are constantly put on display yet somehow continue to remain unprotected.”
According to Pace University’s website, the mission of DOIE is to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students, supporting all diverse members of the Pace community. Still, many students are skeptical, viewing the name change as the university responding to President Trump’s fearmongering.
“I am beyond horrified how quickly our university was willing to bend the knee on this decision,” said Austin Chappelle, a senior at Pace. This is a slap in the face to the student body and staff that have worked so hard to ensure that this exact decision never happened.”
Many students also found themselves surprised by the change, considering how Pace has presented itself in the past.
“I didn’t expect Pace, an institution that prides themselves on social justice and anti-racism education, would be willing to let go of DEI”, said a Pace nursing student, who prefers to remain anonymous. “It’s unsettling, to say the least.”
“For an institution who preaches that they are diverse and inclusive, I’m very disappointed,” said Marina Miranda, a senior at Pace. “They got rid of DEI under the pressure of our current administration, making it harder for the students who relied on it.”
Dr. Stephanie Akynvabey is Pace University’s Chief Diversity officer. I plan to talk with them to get more details on the DOIE office and the decisions behind it.
The DOIE office will be holding an Table Talk event later this month where they plan to discuss upcoming programs and initiatives. They invite all interested community members to attend, to create an open discussion about the newly formed office and answer any questions people might have. If you find yourself wanting to know more about the newly formed DOIE office, or want to voice any frustration you have with the rebrand, I highly recommend you attend. You can find more details here.