On Feb. 21, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) officially closed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) department due to indications from the federal government regarding funding cuts for DEI programs.
The U.S. Department of Education issued a statement on Jan. 23: “The U.S. Department of Education has taken action to eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Following President Trump’s recent Executive Orders and initial guidance, the Department removed or archived hundreds of guidance documents, reports and training materials that include mentions of DEI. These review efforts will continue as the Department works to end discrimination based on race and the use of harmful race stereotypes throughout America’s education system.”
Yasmine Alhejaj, a sophomore at the University of Nebraska studying gender studies and public health, is involved with the Women and Gender Equity Center (WGEC) on campus and has been directly affected by these cuts.
“UNO’s DEI program offered different programs and research centers. Students benefited through legal protection,” Alhejaj said. “My initial reaction to the DEI closures was shock and confusion. I still am very confused by the state of this administration. It has been scary and still is, knowing programs relevant to my livelihood may be shut down by the administration.”
Alhejaj also expressed concern about the university’s response to the situation.
“Faculty have been very quiet, from my perspective, on this,” Alhejaj said. “And students are confused about the next steps. Some are scared and angry, and some people I have talked to were not even aware of the history of DEI defunding at the university. I also feel the university has not offered genuine support, and they are only defending their decisions.”
Wendy Huntsmann, a DEI specialist at Doane University, shared a complex reaction to the issue, understanding that UNO has been facing budget cuts recently, making the situation hard on faculty.
A key question among students is whether anything similar could happen to Doane’s DEI program.
“Don’t fear us closing. We as a division have been talking about this before all the conversations,” Huntsmann reassured.
She emphasized the importance of education in combating systemic inequities.
After looking at the history of slavery, it becomes clear that slavery lasted long because of the lack of education. Education is the key to success, so holding it back against a group will make them less successful.
“When we start looking at how we can take away resources and funding from people who don’t look a certain way, then things will start to move backward,” Huntsmann said.
Huntsmann stressed that maintaining inclusion and equity remains crucial for students, even amid budget cuts.
“Everyone can contribute by critically thinking, developing relationships with different people, understanding that people are complex, doing your research on history, and not taking things at face value,” she stated. “And share your story.”
Huntsmann also shared resources such as Democracy Forward, Democracy 2025, NAACP as sources for students to use.
