Rowan University makes changes in response to Trump administration’s DEI policies

Rowan University has become the second local college to publicly acknowledge making substantive changes in response to the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in higher education.

The New Jersey state university said in an email to the campus it had “reorganized and realigned the departments within the former Division of Inclusive Excellence, Community & Belonging,” which will no longer exist as a division. The email followed the U.S. Department of Education’s letter last month directing schools to scale back DEI initiatives or risk the loss of federal funding.

“The changes are being made so they fully align with federal guidance while ensuring uninterrupted support for all students,” president Ali A. Houshmand and provost Anthony M. Lowman said in a message to the campus last week.

The moves — which have worried some students, faculty, and alumni — represent the latest example of the impact of President Donald Trump’s opposition to DEI efforts, and come weeks after the University of Pennsylvania scrubbed its websites of references to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Penn’s changes followed a Trump executive order critical of DEI but came before the Education Department’s directive telling colleges to halt such programming it would find in violation by Feb. 28.

Some Penn faculty have criticized the university’s move, though Penn has emphasized its values have not changed. And other local colleges said they are still assessing the federal policies and have not made changes.

» READ MORE: Penn scrubs diversity initiatives from its website to comply with Trump order

The “dear colleague” letter from the department warned colleges that receive federal funds to stop using racial preferences as a factor in their admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, and other areas. The letter refers to the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said colleges could not use race as a factor in deciding whether students should be admitted and indicated the department would apply the ruling more broadly.

The American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association have filed a lawsuit, accusing the department of overstepping its bounds and “attempting to establish a new legal regime when it has neither the lawmaking power of Congress nor the interpretative power of the courts.”

» READ MORE: Philly-area colleges are reviewing federal directive on DEI but have not made changes like Penn

At Rowan, no employees will lose their jobs in the reorganization, said Joe Cardona, university spokesperson. Among the changes, Penny McPherson-Myers, who had been vice president of the inclusive excellence division, will become vice president of the new Division of Student Access and Pathway Programs. Naima Hall, who had been assistant vice president of the inclusive excellence division at Rowan’s Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences, will become assistant vice president for Wellness Inclusivity.

Neither McPherson-Myers nor Hall responded to requests for comment.

“Rowan is evolving its internal structure to ensure compliance with federal laws,” Cardona said. “Every decision we make is driven by what will best result in student success and fulfilling our mission to provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality programs, and to be a catalyst for economic development for our region and New Jersey.”

Rowan noted that as a large public research university in New Jersey, it does not use racial preferences in admissions, hiring, scholarships, and scholarship administration.

Even so, “it has felt the impact of this issuance, leaving some members of our university community shocked, confused and anxious,” wrote Rowan’s Black Student Union on Instagram.

Rowan’s actions also stirred debate on the Rowan University Black Alumni Network.

“It’s a difficult situation for sure,” one person wrote. “On one hand if Rowan were to take a stance against dissolving DEI initiatives, we would lose our federal funding and possible other donors. That would lead to students having to pay more for their tuition.

“On the other hand I would have loved to see Rowan take a stance to push for DEI because without the initiatives it will tremendously affect our students’ morals, cultural values and their respect for their own university.”

Rowan’s NAACP chapter and Black Cultural League have encouraged members to attend a meeting at 3:30 p.m. Friday on campus that is being held for the college community by the administration to discuss the changes.

» READ MORE: Penn scrubs diversity initiatives from its website to comply with Trump order

In documents released Saturday, the Education Department clarified its stance, noting that schools deemed in violation would not lose funding immediately but would be allowed to negotiate a resolution agreement. Programs with the words diversity, equity, and inclusion are not automatically in violation, the department said.

“Schools may not operate policies or programs under any name that treat students differently based on race, engage in racial stereotyping, or create hostile environments for students of particular races,” the department said.

“For example, schools with programs focused on interests in particular cultures, heritages, and areas of the world would not in and of themselves [be a violation] … assuming they are open to all students regardless of race. Nor would educational, cultural, or historical observances — such as Black History Month, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or similar events — that celebrate or recognize historical events and contributions, and promote awareness, so long as they do not engage in racial exclusion or discrimination.”

But the department also outlined activities that could be problematic, including: “requiring students to participate in privilege walks, segregating them by race for presentations and discussions with guest speakers, pressuring them to participate in protests or take certain positions on racially charged issues, investigating or sanctioning them for dissenting on racially charged issues through DEI or similar university offices, mandating courses, orientation programs or trainings that are designed to emphasize and focus on racial stereotypes, and assigning them coursework that requires them to identify by race and then complete tasks differentiated by race.”

This week, days after the deadline imposed by the department, several local colleges said they were continuing to gauge the impact of all orders and communications from the Trump administration.

“Like universities across the nation, we are reviewing our existing programs to ensure compliance with state and federal law and will make adjustments when appropriate,” Rutgers University spokesperson Dory Devlin said. “We will continue to ensure the university’s policies and practices are consistent both with the law and with our institutional values.”

The university has not made changes in response to the letter, she said.

Pennsylvania State University said: “While the university is still gathering information, it remains committed to its mission and to fostering a culture of inclusive excellence for our community. Everyone is welcome at Penn State, and we are at our strongest when we are surrounded by a diversity of thought, perspective and experience.”

Clarence Lang, dean of Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts, in a message to faculty Feb. 18 emphasized that “promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging” remained a priority, according to an email obtained by The Inquirer.

Gary King, a professor of biobehavioral health at University Park, said that, so far, it appears Penn State has not made changes in response to the letter, but he and a committee of more than a dozen other Black scholars remain concerned. He noted that Ohio State University, a major Penn State rival in the Big Ten, closed its offices of diversity and inclusion, according to news accounts.

In a Feb. 24 letter to Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi, the Black scholars group called ― among other demands ― for her to “affirm, in clear and unambiguous language, that DEIB [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging] is not only a core Penn State value but also a non-negotiable Penn State virtue that is essential to the university’s mission.”

“If ever there was a time for courageous and forthright leadership, it is now,” they wrote.

Penn State said in a statement that it had responded to the letter “to reaffirm the university’s commitment to fostering a diverse student body, faculty, and staff as well as maintaining an environment in which all members of our community feel valued, supported, and included. … Advancing these goals requires thoughtful action, and Penn State is focused on making sure our efforts are real, strategic, and sustainable, with measurable inputs and outcomes.”

King acknowledged the university provided a response and said the committee is reviewing it.

Rowan said it is auditing its entire website for compliance.

“There are tens of thousands of references that all need to be looked at,” Cardona said.

Bill Freind, president of the university senate and a professor of English, said in a private listserv for union faculty and staff Monday that he noticed some managers overreacting to the federal letter.

“For instance, one college removed the word ‘inclusivity’ from its mission which seems wholly unnecessary to me,” he wrote in the communication, obtained by The Inquirer.

He also noted that some webpages yield “404 errors,” meaning they are no longer accessible, in part as a result of Rowan’s redesign of the inclusive excellence division website.

“I’m working to make sure nothing is purged unnecessarily,” he wrote.

In the interim, Freind advised faculty not to change syllabi or course lectures.

In an interview, Freind said that he supported changes the university made involving the former inclusive excellence division and that he thought Rowan was largely in compliance before that.

“We are going to be able to continue with our mission,” he said. “That’s really what counts ultimately.”