Additional Penn divisions and departments have removed online references to diversity, equity, and inclusion from their respective websites as part of larger changes to University policies.
The DEI page for the Wharton School of Business has been scrubbed, and the Penn Libraries DEI website is no longer active. Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science Office of DEI website has been re-labeled to the Cora Ingrum Center for Community and Outreach, and all former DEI initiatives for the school now redirect to the same page. Nearly all references to diversity have been removed from the website for the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty, including bias training and the University’s policy on affirmative action.
A request for comment was left with a University spokesperson.
These modifications and removals are the latest signs of the University backpedaling on its DEI initiatives from recent years. Last week, Penn’s School of Dental Medicine and Stuart Weitzman School of Design appeared to shut down central offices and initiatives related to DEI, and Penn Athletics removed the DEI page on its website. Earlier this week, the University announced changes to its discrimination policies, including removing the term ‘diversity’ and references to affirmative action.
Following an executive order from President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump requiring federally funded universities such as Penn to terminate any DEI programs that could be in violation of federal civil rights laws. Interim Penn President Larry Jameson stated that the University would review its policies, programs, and practices in an email sent to Penn students on Jan. 28.
“The Penn Libraries strategic priorities align our work with the University’s goal of advancing knowledge for good,” the Diversity Statement for Penn Libraries previously read, according to an archived webpage. “Our priorities are informed by a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.” The website was no longer active as of Feb. 11, including the page for the DEI and Discovery Working Group. References to “Diversity in the Stacks,” an expansion initiative for book collections launched in 2019, have also been scrubbed.
At the Engineering School, the Cora Ingrum Center for Community and Outreach replaces the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as of Feb. 11, and the website URL replaced the word “diversity” with “community.” Staff titles have been altered to remove the words diversity, equity, inclusion, and other related terms.
“Penn Engineering strongly endorses the University’s commitment to diversity,” the Engineering School’s statement on DEI previously read. “We strive to attract a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff in order to provide an accessible, rigorous engineering education for our students, and to improve our local and global communities through engineering education and research.” The webpage now automatically redirects to the homepage for the Cora Ingrum Center.
The Wharton School’s page on diversity, equity, and inclusion has been put under review. While the page was formerly attributed to the Wharton School’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, it now only reads “The Wharton School.”
“A commitment to equal opportunity has long been a guiding principle of the Wharton School,” the new website reads. “We have initiated a review of our efforts in this area to ensure they are fully consistent with the new guidance established by the federal government.”
The website home to the One Wharton Initiative, the school’s “comprehensive effort to advance diversity, promote equity, and foster a culture of respect and understanding for the Wharton community,” has also been taken down.
The website for the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty now has the heading “Recruiting Exceptional Faculty” instead of “Recruiting Excellent & Diverse Faculty.” Pages on the website that reference DEI, such as “Affirmative Action Guidelines,” “Faculty Bias Training,” and “Resources & Funding” have been removed, and a page titled “Provost’s Lecture on Diversity” is now “Provost’s Lecture,” and links to lectures related to artificial intelligence rather than DEI.
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