DeKALB – In compliance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump after he took office earlier this year, NIU has removed DEI language from its website.
Among the changes is the removal of a page titled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at NIU” which has been replaced by a page titled “Inclusive Excellence”.
Using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine which takes daily snapshots of websites, the estimated date the change was made is Feb. 1, 11 days after Trump signed the order on Jan. 20.
The first sentence on the original DEI website read “At NIU, we’re committed to confronting racism and all forms of discrimination.” The first sentence on the new Inclusive Excellence website reads “At NIU, we are dedicated to fostering inclusive excellence.”
The university said as a result of the polarization around the term DEI, the changes were made to ensure their belief in diversity is not misinterpreted.
According to a statement from the university, the changes highlight a commitment to creating an inclusive environment.
“In today’s evolving landscape, where terms like DEI have become polarizing, the university has elected to make website changes to clarify and highlight our unwavering commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all,” the statement said. “We firmly believe our diverse community of students, employees, and alumni is our greatest strength and foundation of our excellence.”
Trump’s executive order “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” intends to eliminate all DEI initiatives or programs in the federal government.
Greg Elinson, assistant professor in NIU’s College of Law, described executive orders as “memos on fancy letterhead.”
“The president sits on top of the executive branch, the people underneath the president in that structure are agency heads, cabinet officials, people like that,” Elinson said. “Executive orders are some kind of directive or instruction to those people to do or not do something.”
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Under the Biden Administration, many programs were implemented in the federal government to promote more diverse people, ideas, and beliefs.
Elinson said Biden was not the first to implement more diversity in the federal government and other institutions. Former President Kennedy signed an executive order that created affirmative action and policies designed to address discrimination and promote equal opportunities in jobs, education and government and former President Truman desegregated the military by an executive order.
Elinson said one reason universities might change language for web pages or programs is because they do not want to be noticed by the Trump administration.
“I think universities do not want to be the subject of being singled out, like Columbia right now is being singled out, as are other universities,” Elinson said. “No one wants to be in the crosshairs.”
It is important to remember executive orders have a distinct purpose, according to Elinson.
“The president has some interpretive power to say, you know, ‘this law means x’ or ‘this is illegal’, and then, we continue to debate and discuss those interpretations,” Elinson said. “Sometimes they get fought in court, sometimes they get fought in Congress, they get fought about within the executive branch, or sometimes they get fought between two political candidates of rival parties.”
Other area universities have made similar changes.
Northwestern University removed websites dedicated to DEI all throughout university departments. Loyola University merged their Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Black Student Excellence into one Center, calling it the Center for Student Inclusion and Belonging.
