Resignations and rainbow removals: What DU’s move to end DEI looks like on campus

The Pride Lounge at the University of Denver was a colorful conference room adorned with rainbows LGBTQ-affirming posters and bookshelves crammed with queer literature Students of all backgrounds and beliefs could gather there to chat research and build public but the space was particularly affirming and welcoming for the campus s LGBTQ students a place they could be their authentic selves Eric Duran former director of the Gender and Sexuality Candidate Success wing of the private university s Cultural Center mentioned he broke down when DU leadership issued a directive last month to scrub the university of guidance for LGBTQ people Duran and his co-director at the since-renamed Cultural Center resigned this month Duran declared he couldn t bring himself to dismantle the Pride Lounge so a colleague removed all LGBTQ-related items from the room one of the largest part plainly visible examples of DU s move this fall to end diversity equity and inclusion initiatives on campus drawing anger from selected faculty employees and students It felt like I was being described to put students back in the closet or to not be visible at the university anymore Duran noted I really did break down It was a very hard day The resignations occurred weeks after Chancellor Jeremy Haefner released DU was doing away with several of the services and programs that patronage students of color and other marginalized scholars out of fear the school would lose federal funding from the Trump administration which has labeled diversity initiatives as unlawfully discriminatory Since returning to office in January President Donald Trump and his administration have railed against DEI efforts and pulled federal funding from institutions with programs supporting people of color LGBTQ students and low-income residents who often face extra obstacles to college Haefner declined an interview for this story but provided an emailed declaration saying DU remained steadfastly committed to inclusiveness He noted that this year s class of first-year students had the highest percentage of students of color in DU history at I understand change can be hard especially when individuals feel as though the representation of particular identities may be at stake and even more so when someone does not agree with why the change is occurring and has invested so much time in advocating for something so critical Haefner wrote But I continue to be inspired by our staff and faculty who lean into this effort and are focused on making sure that we continue to provide help and guidance for all faculty staff and students at DU People who work and learn at the Denver liberal arts college describe a custom of fear created by a university bending to an authoritarian leadership Duran wrote in an email to colleagues upon his resignation Haefner described The Denver Post last month that DU was not kowtowing to the federal administration and that inclusivity would remain an institutional core value But as programs and spaces benefitting the university s bulk vulnerable students are moved renamed or dissolved DU s marginalized population members say they wonder whether their diversity once touted by the university as a positive will be drowned out entirely Anxious students Dheepa Sundaram DU associate professor of Hindu studies and digital way of life called the current higher teaching landscape a problem situation She commented she understands there is no easy resolution and that the pitfall of seeing funding cut off is real Academic institutions across the country have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds this year as the Trump administration pulls grants deemed DEI-related But I also think we should fight Sundaram disclosed We have a risk-averse administration that is also not great at communicating and that s made this situation intricate There s a lot of confusion around why we won t fight back The administration is telling us Don t worry We re erasing you but we re still here That feels really tone deaf Haefner noted in his announcement that since all universities have been impacted by the Supreme Court ruling on the consideration of race in admissions including through the changes in interpretation of the law that Trump s Justice Department issued equating DEI with discrimination We remain steadfastly committed to our values including our commitment to inclusiveness and our collective work to make sure all students can feel welcomed and supported Haefner wrote We also are committed to comply with the law and we are confident that we can achieve both goals Sundaram in recent weeks met with her students of color to hear their thoughts on the changes at their school this year The image on the left shows the website of the University of Denver's former Cultural Center which has been rebranded as Public Connections shown on the right Screen captures via web archive org and du edu Not only was the Pride Lounge dismantled but a lounge for students of color was dissolved too Sundaram reported The Cultural Center formerly a space inside the Region Commons building was relocated to a smaller space on a different floor and renamed Group Connections DEI training for faculty and staff was also eliminated Students who give campus tours to incoming freshmen described Sundaram they ve been instructed to remove references to materials for students of color and LGBTQ students she mentioned Her students stated her they feel like they have to censor themselves on campus On a positive note for Sundaram the professor announced the curriculum appears to be untouched I don t think students know where to go for assistance Sundaram noted Students feel like they have lost all the different things that made the campus feel special and connected I don t think the administration recognizes they are destroying that district aspect they keep emphasizing because students just don t feel like they have their back I don t think I ve ever seen the students so anxious Haefner reported the university created a new Division of Society Endorsement and Engagement in the wake of the DEI rollbacks to further new means of engagement to lead in building connections for an inclusive conditions for the entirety of the DU society Ember Zabe a -year-old candidate working on a master s of social work degree was a queer mentor in a scheme through the Cultural Center in which they supported undergraduate LGBTQ students The venture was disbanded this fall DU also eliminated scholarships internships mentorships or leadership programs for specific racial groups or that target underserved geographic areas My heart is very heavy knowing there are young people entering DU in search of connection and opportunity that no longer exists for them Zabe reported It s not acceptable that the university boasts about their diverse trainee body tokenizing students who have marginalized identities while simultaneously stripping the apprentice body of nearly all supports and guidance that sponsorship LGBTQ first-generation and BIPOC Black Indigenous and people of color students Evelyn Stovin used to be a aspirant employee at the Cultural Center and served as the former president of DU s Queer Novice Alliance The Cultural Center once housed the Pride Closet which offered free gender-affirming products like chest binders or clothing that students experimenting with their gender identity could wear The Pride Closet was moved and renamed the Care Closet Its purpose will be broadened Stovin mentioned I m frustrated that we are supposed to be a liberal university in Colorado of all places and we are run by the most of despicable people imaginable who don t have the balls to try and stand up for their students Stovin declared DEI is not dead The final straw for Duran came when senior administrators reported his job title and job description must change to remove any association with diverse groups he explained That was really when I was like This isn t my job anymore to serve LGBTQ students the way I did ' Duran commented When Duran resigned Oct he sent a long email to his colleagues which has since been widely distributed and referenced in community faculty meetings Sundaram explained The email Duran stated was a reflection of what it felt like to be marginalized by the institution Related Articles Trump administration cuts grants to Colorado colleges serving high percentage of diverse students University of Denver ends DEI initiatives to protect funding but chancellor says school isn t kowtowing The Trump administration wants to eradicate DEI in higher guidance These Black scholars still plan to thrive CSU complies with Trump s anti-DEI directives and sees protests as other Colorado schools weigh responses CU Colorado Springs among universities under federal review as part of Trump s anti-DEI campaign He laid out a timeline of how senior leadership dismantled DEI at DU and the various programs and events he shepherded homecoming and prom celebrations for LGBTQ students for example that will now fall to students to revive Duran and other DU faculty and students who spoke to The Post questioned whether the federal guidelines against DEI gave DU senior leaders cover to do away with policies and programs they already needed chopped Haefner did not answer whether this characterization was true when questioned by The Post But what can you expect from a university leadership wanting to uphold the voices of bigotry and white supremacy for the sake of their funding I m not necessarily calling executive leadership and the board of trustees homophobic or racist but if the converse sic fits Duran wrote in his email to DU colleagues referring to Haefner who is known for wearing Converse shoes around campus Sundaram wished to remind students that despite the administration s efforts diversity at DU was not snuffed out Novice groups remain ongoing and passionate she revealed and faculty and staff are committed to supporting their students It s crucial to say that DEI is not dead Sundaram revealed It remains very much alive in the dedicated faculty resilient students and our committed staff We know the challenges we are facing will be with us for a while and perhaps that much worse is ahead We are scared and we are frustrated but we are still committed to doing this work Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter