Student Engagement office door at the UAA Student Union. Photo by Matthew Schmitz.
Student Engagement removed "Inclusion" from its title following a motion filed by the University of Alaska Board of Regents. The motion directed UAA administrators to "make changes as necessary" to comply with an executive order issued by the Trump administration and a letter from the U.S. Board of Education regarding DEI.
The executive order directing government institutions to eliminate “Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs” was blocked by a federal judge on Feb. 21, according to the Associated Press.
The UA Board of Regents continued their motion even after the judge’s block on President Trump’s order.
The Northern Light interviewed University of Alaska Director of Public Affairs Jonathon Taylor about Student Engagement’s name change.
Taylor confirmed the change and said other areas in the department will also reflect the shift in language to be in compliance with the Board of Regents' motion.
Taylor said, “Our programs and services are designed to help all students achieve and are not discriminatory under existing or new definitions.”
“While this new institutional policy set by the Board of Regents (BOR) will remove certain terms from official documents and websites, it does not eliminate the academic and free speech rights of students, staff, and faculty to engage and express themselves in this area,” said Taylor.
This report is part of an investigative series on recent changes related to DEI at UAA and will be followed by additional coverage.
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