Is Cal Poly’s diversity and inclusion office closing? Here’s a Reality Check
A tip shared with The Tribune on Friday stated that Cal Poly was closing its Office of University Diversity and Inclusion following President Trump’s executive orders targeting federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The Tribune looked into the claim as part of its Reality Check series.
According to university spokesperson Matt Lazier, Cal Poly’s DEI office is not closing — though changes are afoot.
Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong issued a communication on Friday, which discussed organizational changes to the university’s DEI office. According to the memo, the office will be moved to a different division — a change similar to others the university has recently made.
“The Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) will transition to the University Personnel division,” the memo read. “This structure is similar to several other CSU universities.”
Lazier told The Tribune that the office will continue to offer DEI services, and the division will be renamed to reflect the inclusion of the DEI programming.
The change was made to improve the “effectiveness, efficiency and culture” at the university, according to the memo.
Lazier also clarified to The Tribune that the decision was made “at Cal Poly and by Cal Poly leadership,” not in response to “outside influences.”
“Those decisions are made over time and with careful evaluation — which takes weeks or even months, rather than days, to arrive at,” Lazier said.
On day one of his second term, Trump issued an executive order that terminated ”illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the federal government,” calling them “discriminatory.”
In response, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management ordered federal agencies to place their DEIA employees on paid administrative leave, and on Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education dissolved its Diversity and Inclusion Council and removed over 200 pages from its website that “encouraged schools and institutions of higher education to promote or endorse harmful ideological programs.”
But as of now, the executive orders shouldn’t have an immediate impact on higher education institutions, though critics worry that they’ll have a chilling effect on colleges and universities that don’t want to lose federal funding.
SLO County Diversity Coalition responds to Cal Poly change
Rita Casaverde, executive director of Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County, was disappointed with the change to Cal Poly’s DEI office.
“I’m guessing this decision is to not risk federal funding, considering the executive orders we saw roll out this week, as previously promised by Project 2025,” she told The Tribune. “It’s still a shame that a university in California, with an endowment as large at Cal Poly’s, crumbles within the first week of this administration.”
Casaverde was particularly worried about the ripple effects.
“We are extremely concerned about the message that this is sending to the Cal Poly community, including students, staff, alumni, etc.,” she said.
“President Armstrong needs to be firm about his commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, if he ever had one, otherwise all the progress can be seen as performative, and I don’t think it was,” she continued, lauding the Cal Poly office for its work beyond the university.
“The Office of University Diversity and Inclusion has been a stellar partner for so many organizations in SLO County. Losing their power in the mix with a different department is a total loss for entire Central Coast,” she said. “It’s impossible to not feel the depth of this blow, but like Amanda Gorman’s poem says, ‘We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.’ “
This story was originally published January 25, 2025 at 12:12 PM.
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