This post was updated March 31 at 11:10 p.m.
UCLA campus attorneys advised staff to remove website language that appeared to target students from specific identity groups in response to the Trump administration’s anti-diversity directives, a former UCLA equity advisor said.
Charles Alexander, the former equity advisor for the Division of Undergraduate Education, said campus attorneys told equity advisors to review their program websites for language implying preferential treatment for specific groups. Alexander, the former director of UCLA’s Academic Advancement Program, added that campus attorneys communicated the review to equity advisors, prompted by the Trump administration’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion guidance, before he retired in June.
The Trump administration has cracked down on diversity, equity and inclusion programs across universities, launching investigations and threatening to withhold funding from institutions that do not comply. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 mandating the removal of DEI initiatives across all federal agencies.
The United States Department of Justice also sent a letter to UCLA demanding that it end diversity initiatives – including race- and ethnicity-based scholarships – in exchange for federal research grants that it froze in late July.
[Related: Proposed UCLA settlement from federal government seeks $1 billion, policy changes]
All UCLA schools and academic units appointed equity advisors in 2014 to provide guidance to deans, according to a version of the website for the UCLA Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion archived in September.
“During these politically sensitive times, people are really being mindful and cautious about what they’re doing and saying as it relates to students that are from underrepresented backgrounds,” Alexander said.
A UCLA spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the university reviews programs to ensure their compliance with federal and state non-discrimination laws, as well as UC-wide policy.
“UCLA is committed to fostering an environment where all students can thrive and has long worked to expand access and opportunity across our campus,” the spokesperson said in the statement. “Our goal is to ensure programs are welcoming to all Bruins across our diverse community.”
The ‘Overview’ page for AAP – which offers academic advising and peer learning opportunities – previously said it served students who are “historically underrepresented in higher education.” The program removed the reference to “historically” from the website, with the sentence now reading “educationally underserved in higher education.”
Asbeidy Solano, a counselor at AAP, said she believes the language changes prevent students and staff from learning about the program’s history, which is rooted in activism.
“This shift is separating our department from its history,” Solano said.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt announced the Office of Inclusive Excellence would replace UCLA’s EDI office in October 2024 – before Trump’s election. The new office is focused on improving campus climate, including through partnering with initiatives related to cross-cultural dialogue, Hunt said in a campuswide email.
The UC also replaced its Department of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion with the Office of Culture and Inclusive Excellence in October 2025. While the EDI department’s website previously said it was committed “to building an enduring anti-racist organization,” the new office has no references to race or racism.
[Related: UC eliminates EDI department, creates Office of Culture and Inclusive Excellence]
Several other universities, including the University of Southern California and the University of Michigan, have removed or altered references to diversity-related initiatives on their websites in response to the federal directives.
Alexander said he believes the Trump administration sees programs that go above and beyond to uplift groups from underrepresented backgrounds as a threat. However, universities should continue to serve as an inclusive space for students, he added.
“Universities are still a place where you want to keep inclusive excellence – you don’t want to sanitize the campus,” Alexander said.
Comments are closed.