Michigan Nursing School rebrands DEI pages amid Trump crackdown

Following the Trump administration's executive orders on DEI, a prominent university undertook significant website modifications.
The University of Michigan School of Nursing removed its "diversity" tab and associated DEI resources from the homepage. However, web archives revealed that pages containing "DEI" were retitled, and the diversity office's main page was eliminated.
A new "Community Culture" page emerged, emphasising culture's central role. However, retired economics professor Mark Perry's investigation revealed that the revised pages connected to identical DEI materials, including a "DEI 2.0" strategic plan extending to 2028. The staff remained unchanged, with only minor title adjustments, according to reports by The Washington Free Beacon.
The office's revised description maintains similar themes, stating their focus on health disparities and incorporating equity and inclusion throughout their operations.
Trump's promised university investigations as part of his DEI crackdown has prompted institutions to potentially obscure rather than eliminate their diversity programmes. Perry alerted Michigan's Board of Regents on February 8, and by February 11, numerous rebranded pages were removed from public view.
Similar rebranding efforts have occurred at other institutions since 2023. The University of Tennessee and University of Colorado modified their DEI office names to alternative titles.
The Trump administration established a tip line through OPM to report attempts at disguising these programmes. PBS faced scrutiny for attempting to reassign DEI executives to circumvent executive orders.
Michigan's DEI practices attracted attention following an October 2024 New York Times article detailing various diversity initiatives. The nursing school had previously appointed Rushika Patel, whose title changed from chief diversity officer to "Assistant Dean for Strategic Education".