LAFAYETTE PARISH — The Office of Campus Inclusion at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL) has been shut down.
The university announced the closure late Friday in an email to staff, stating that operations at the office have officially ceased.
University officials said in the notice that the decision was made in response to a federal directive.
The move comes in the wake of a February letter from the U.S. Department of Education warning that federal funding would be revoked from schools nationwide that failed to eliminate all racial preference programs.
On Friday, the two employees in the Office of Campus Inclusion were offered — and accepted — positions in UL’s Office of Academic Affairs.
The university confirmed in a statement that, “DEI programs and activities that are led, sponsored and/or funded by the university are discontinued.”
It added that programs without a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) focus have been reassigned to other offices on campus.
Doc Theriot, member-at-large with Giving Love Acceptance Safety and Support (GLASS), an organization that promotes diversity at UL, said the Office of Campus Inclusion provided essential support to both the organization and students who felt marginalized.
“Office of Inclusion really did work and made students’ life feel safe, making students feel comfortable in the place that they live and work daily,” she said.
She expressed disappointment with the university’s decision and voiced concerns about the future of other student programs.
“If Office of Inclusion can get closed because of the presidential mandates and such there’s no bounds of what can happen, because it’s a slippery slope,” she said.
Eric Maron, spokesperson for UL responded in a statement, saying, “It is our intent that all students are fully engaged in and find success at the university. This has not changed. Engaging students and supporting their success remains a core part of our identity.”
At least seven programs previously operated under the Office of Campus Inclusion, including the Council for Inclusive Excellence and the First Gen Students Program.
It remains unclear which of those programs will continue and which have been cut. However, UL confirmed that initiatives such as the First-Generation Scholarship have been relocated to other departments.
