UVA dissolves Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships

The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors voted on Friday, March 7, to dissolve its Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships.

The Board passed the resolution unanimously, citing a Jan. 21 executive order from President Donald Trump and guidance from the Department of Education issued Feb. 14, which stated that universities may lose federal funding if they “fail to comply with federal civil rights law.” (The Washington Post shared the full text of the resolution here.)

According to reporting from the Washington Post (for subscribers), the Board did not discuss the resolution in open session prior to the vote, but as the Cavalier Daily reports, the resolution had passed in committee in an earlier closed session.

How exactly this will play out — and if any jobs, fellowships or research initiatives are on the line — is still unclear.

The resolution notes that UVA “values diversity, including diversity of thought and experience, and fosters an inclusive environment,” and said that “permissible programs” should be moved to a “new organizational home.” It further says that faculty, staff and students doing “legally permissible research” should continue as normal.

The Board also said that it will continue to review guidance from the Department of Education and the U.S. attorney general.

As of 1 p.m. on Tuesday, UVA’s website for its Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is live and lists its Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights; Title IX Office and the American with Disabilities Act Office as parts of the division.

From 2019: UVA offers local community control with new equity center

UVA also created the Equity Center in 2019, which also still has a live website, with the stated goal of working to create partnerships between UVA and the community “that go beyond the standard of ‘first, do no harm’ toward justice and liberation” according to the Center’s website.

The Center’s work has expanded over the years to include fellowships, scholarships, college and career pipeline programs, summer camps and other youth-focused programming and research tools for advocates and professionals in the public and private sectors.

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The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors voted March 7 to dissolve its Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships, citing an executive order from President Donald Trump and recent guidance from the Department of Education. 

If you or someone you know has been impacted by this decision at UVA, we want to know. You can get in touch with us here — filling out the form does not mean you will be named in a report unless you later give us permission to name you.

UVA students also received some tragic news late last week as a first-year student died after a severe case of meningitis, the Daily Progress reported. Subscribers to the Daily Progress can read more about Nicolas “Nico” Ramos-Esteban here.

Earlier this month, the Cavalier Daily reported that a student had been diagnosed with meningococcal disease and was being treated at UVA Health. Meningitis is a common type of meningococcal disease where bacteria infect the lining of the brain and spinal cord, according to the CDC.

From WHSV: Concern over vaccine exemptions arise amidst meningococcal, measles cases

Vaccination is the best protection from this disease, and the CDC recommends vaccination for pre-teens, teens and some children and adults. However, some UVA students are concerned that the university makes it too easy to become exempt from vaccination requirements, according to reporting from WHSV.

As WHSV reports, Brandon Williams, a fourth-year student, reached out to Student Affairs after the March 2 notification that a student had been diagnosed with meningococcal disease. He pointed out that the university’s waiver for vaccination against the disease is only “80 words long,” despite the disease being potentially fatal if contracted. The waiver also only requires a student signature if the student is over 18.

According to the article, Williams is supportive of students with medical and religious exemptions obtaining waivers, but he is also concerned about the heightened risk for all students if not enough of them are vaccinated. This risk can be particularly high at universities due to close living quarters and frequent socialization. 

You can read more about the meningococcal vaccine here. To get a vaccine, you can contact your doctor, visit a local pharmacy or use this search tool from the Virginia Department of Health to find vaccine providers for children and adults in your area. Costs may vary, but some clinics can offer vaccines without requiring payment or insurance.  

Stay safe and take care of each other, 
Akash Sinha, Managing Editor

P.S. We’ve got some job openings and two new internships available in the newsroom. Find out more about working with the Charlottesville Tomorrow team here.