DEI Policies Persist at Elite Universities Despite Claims of Change
President Donald Trump has stated that his administration has “ended DEI in America.” Yet, a closer look reveals that DEI and Affirmative Action policies continue to thrive within many top universities. Under pressure from the Trump administration and potential investigations, these prestigious institutions have attempted to obscure their DEI efforts while maintaining their core mission.
Georgetown University exemplifies this concerning trend. Recently, it rebranded its Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action to the Office for Equal Opportunity Compliance. This change was framed as a move toward promoting “non-discrimination” and “equal opportunity,” aligning the office’s language with that of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was established in 1964. Georgetown asserted that, while it still values DEI, it would no longer “give preferences in admissions or employment in ways that violate the law.”
However, it quickly became apparent that this shift was merely cosmetic, aimed at deflecting federal scrutiny. The newly named office stated in communications that “while our name has changed, our work and mission remain the same.” This declaration is both bold and, frankly, somewhat accurate.
Although the office purports to promote “equality” on campus, Georgetown’s OEOC has a section dedicated to “Diversity Recruitment Sources.” It explicitly states the university’s intention to hire “especially minority persons, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities.” This aligns with the University’s Affirmative Action Plan and lists recruitment channels tied to various minority and identity-focused organizations.
Interestingly, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to effectively dismantle Affirmative Action in college admissions back on June 29, 2023. Yet, Georgetown seems to be keeping the policy alive. It’s not hard to infer that the university is still encouraging departments to pursue overtly discriminatory hiring practices, thereby violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act with a focus on diversity.
This situation doesn’t come as a major surprise given that Georgetown has retained its DEI leadership, including “Chief Diversity Officer” Rosemary Kilkenny, a longtime advocate for DEI initiatives. Under her guidance, the office launched a Gender Equity Committee, with its latest report recommending the recruitment of faculty from underrepresented communities and integrating Antiracism and DEI as foundational principles.
These institutional affirmative action practices are some of the most egregious and legally questionable manifestations, but they’re hardly the only ways Georgetown has embedded DEI and Critical Race Theory into its curriculum. Last year, the university introduced a mandatory freshman class, “Race, Power, and Justice,” which aims to examine historical and social aspects of race and its impacts on various power dynamics.
Georgetown can no longer hide from the scrutiny brought on by President Trump’s righteous efforts to address violations of established civil rights laws. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has begun investigations into higher education institutions that engage in race-based discrimination. A comparable case involved George Mason University, where a university president renamed a DEI office while pledging to continue several illegal DEI initiatives.
Over 77 million Americans chose not to support Trump in the 2024 election, hoping their tax dollars wouldn’t finance radical and unlawful DEI programs at elite universities. Georgetown’s decision to maintain DEI initiatives, despite its superficial rebranding, contradicts the law, the President’s executive actions, and the public’s sentiment. It’s crucial for Georgetown to reassess its path, and for the Department of Education to carry out an investigation.
