UR renames equity and inclusion office amid national scrutiny of DEI programs

The name of the Student Center For Equity and Inclusion was changed to the Hub For Student Inclusion and Community this semester in the midst of President Donald Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at universities.

The change was announced in an August email from Todd Adams, the Vice President for Student Development.

This past fall, Morgan Russell-Stokes, the Dean of the now-renamed SCEI, began to build contingency plans in the wake of Trump’s reelection. Trump has long criticized universities for being too “woke” and emphasizing DEI programs. 

“[Adams] was really open to talking to me about, if something terrible were to happen…some names, jobs, programs, things that might be on the line,” Russell-Stokes said.

For some students, the name change has led to uncertainty and fear. The SCEI has long provided a sense of community and a safe space for underprivileged and underrepresented students at UR. 

“It was definitely upsetting when we first heard at the beginning of the year,” senior Raf Cruz said. 

Cruz first started going to the SCEI his freshman year, and it’s still an important part of his life at UR.

“The SCEI has always been a necessity for me…the staff members, the students who I’ve interacted with have all become, I guess, family,” Cruz said.

The Hub For Student Inclusion and Community is now a part of the Health and Well-Being area. The name change, along with the Hub’s new position, has led to problems with visibility and accessibility for students seeking out the Hub’s services on campus. 

“Finding the NAACP and the BSA was tricky on its own,” first-year Alessandra Sessoms said. “Because of the names, it kind of sounds flat instead of what it’s actually supposed to be.”

Russell-Stokes and the Hub are actively dealing with the issues of visibility and engagement as the language around the office changes, along with growing fear among minority students. 

“What I would hate to happen is that there’s a future where the decline of engagement happens in this office, and now all of the sudden it doesn’t exist,” Russell-Stokes said. “I think because of the climate, our students that we have…traditionally provided services to, we see that they’re afraid. Everybody’s afraid.”

That decline in engagement may already be happening. 

Sessom, who is involved with the NAACP, says that the organization is experiencing lower student involvement.

“We heard…from some of the NAACP exec board that…numbers are dwindling and that less people are becoming involved in these things. And I think part of it is because of the labeling,” Sessom said.

The name change removed the words “diversity” and “equity” as Trump threatens to withhold funding from universities that support “woke” policies. Despite the fact that Richmond is a private university with a large endowment, the school is still feeling the pressure.

“Virginia is one of maybe a handful of states that has never introduced a DEI ban for legislation. However, that isn’t preventing us as a private [university] from having to change some things, or risk losing money,” Russell-Stokes said.

Despite the name change, Russell-Stokes emphasized that nothing has changed about the values that the office is committed to. 

“There is no responsibility of advocacy that no longer exists in anybody’s job. That is still a part of everybody’s job in here,” Russell-Stokes said. “I think what we’re seeing with DEI practices in general is that the brand of advocacy might look different, or how we go about advocating for things might look a little different.” 

Jasmine Khatcheressian, a senior involved in the LGBTQ+ Coalition, has also worked for SCEI in the past. So far, she hasn’t seen much to indicate that the services that the Hub provides have changed.

“As far as I am aware, the change in the title is just that,” Khatcheressian said. “Nothing in terms of the actual things that they are trying to do are changed.”

Similarly, Cruz sees little change in the mission of the office. However, he believes that public perception of the Hub, along with access to its resources, have shifted. 

“I feel it’s still the same as it was when it was SCEI,” he said. “All the employees are still working to…support the students who need it, who seek out the resources. But it’s just a matter of how that work is framed, and who has access to it.” 

While the mission of the Hub has not changed, its ability to sponsor and outwardly support student events and organizations has diminished. Khatcheressian organizes Kaleidoscope, the Transgender Affinity Group on campus. That position used to be under the SCEI, but the role has now been transferred to be under the LGBTQ+ Coalition. 

“It is work that I’d be doing regardless, but not only now, I’m not getting paid for it, but also the budget we have for Kaleidoscope is less, because I’m splitting it with the funding that the Coalition uses for all of their stuff,” Khatcheressian said. 

Khatcheressian is also worried about the future, as students are forced to take on more responsibility in organizing events. 

“I am worried, you know, especially as a senior,” she said. “I don’t necessarily know who’s gonna be running [Kaleidoscope] next year…because if no one wants to do it, the group will effectively dissolve.”

Russell-Stokes hopes that students are ready to take on more of the responsibility that’s being asked of them during this time and recognize the increased importance of their participation and advocacy.

“I think they do know that it’s more important now,” Russell-Stokes said. “I wonder, though, how students will use their agency to also make sure that we still exist.” 

This isn’t the first time that names and language have shifted around DEI programs at the University. The name was changed to the SCEI in 2020; before that, it was called the Office of Multicultural Affairs. 

“All of this has changed so much since almost 10 years ago. And it’ll continue to evolve,” Russell-Stokes said. 

While the Hub looks to do its best to continue to carry out its mission during uncertain times, students, like Sessom, are already feeling a gap in the school’s ability to foster community among minorities on campus. And these gaps are still growing. Adams’ email also announced the replacement of the week-long multicultural pre-orientation program, THRIVE, with a one-day pre-orientation program called STRIDE.

“I wish that campuses would give minorities and people of color more of a chance to branch out and form a bond with, because sometimes it can be very isolating,” Sessom said. “We chose to go to the school, but we didn’t choose to feel excluded in spaces that are supposed to include us.”

Contact city and state writer Declan Devilbiss at declan.devilbiss@richmond.edu