On her third day in office, Interim President Leah Ward Sears (80L) announced that Emory University will “discontinue” current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices and programs. In a campus-wide email, Sears wrote that new federal policies are forcing the University to shutter these DEI programs.
“The standards are clear, and we must act accordingly,” Sears wrote.
President Donald Trump’s administration issued an executive order in April to address “unlawful discrimination and ideological overreach” within higher education, calling for an overhaul of the university accreditation system. In March, the U.S. Department of Education announced that Emory, along with 44 other institutions, would be investigated for engaging in race-exclusionary practices in the University’s graduate programs.
In her email, Sears wrote that the Office of General Counsel, which advises the University on legal matters, and other campus officials will guide Emory’s closure of DEI programs and offices.
The closure of Emory’s DEI programs and offices comes on the heels of the departure of four senior Campus Life administrators in July. Student government officials critiqued this move, claiming that the University intended to eliminate all Campus Life programs.
The Division of Campus Life previously oversaw DEI-related operations, which included Cox Hall’s Belonging and Community Justice Centers and Civic and Community Engagement.
The Emory administration had not previously indicated that it would change its DEI programs or close offices before the Sept. 3 announcement. University Chancellor and then-President Gregory Fenves spoke about DEI programs amid federal pressures in a University Senate meeting in March.
“[DEI principles] are core principles of any organization, especially educational institutions, and I am very proud of the work that Emory has done for a long time,” Fenves said.
Sears wrote in her email that announcing the end of DEI programs at Emory was “hard” and shared that she “has reaped the benefits of the needs these programs were meant to address” in the past. Previously, Sears served as the first woman and first Black woman on the Supreme Court of Georgia.
The interim president wrote that while Emory’s DEI programs are ending, the University and its community can still remain dedicated to its principles.
“Closing offices or reimagining lawful programs is not, after all, the same as ending our unwavering commitment to fairness, belonging, and opportunity for all, values that are part of Emory’s DNA,” Sears wrote.
Correction (9/3/25 at 5:39 p.m.): A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Division of Campus Life oversaw the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, international student services and accessibility services. In fact, the Office of the Provost oversees these programs. The article has been updated to reflect these changes.
Spencer Friedland (26C) is the Editor-in-Chief of The Emory Wheel. He is double majoring in Philosophy and Film. Outside of the Wheel he is a member of Emory's Honor Council and Franklin Fellowship. After college he is planning on attending law school.
Ellie Fivas (she/her) (26C) is from Cleveland, Tenn., and is majoring in political science and history on the pre-law track. When she is not working for the Wheel, she works in prison education, leads a human rights club and works at the Emory Writing Center. In her free time, you can find her reading trashy romances and The New York Times, basking on the Quadrangle and doing crossword puzzles.
