Dozens of student organizations have signed a petition demanding the University of Miami protect diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs amid changes that followed a contentious Trump administration directive.
A number of websites related to DEI resources at the university were taken down after President Donald Trump passed an executive order aimed at punishing educational institutions offering race or gender-based programs.
The move was met with anger by various student organizations at the university.
Some directly emailed top university officials including President Joe Echevarria to voice their dissatisfaction. Others have posted personal organization statements on Instagram, drawing students to a Change.org petition.
The petition demands the administration publicly acknowledge the removal of DEI resources, physically reinstate DEI resources on campus if they cannot be made available online and engage with students and faculty in an open forum.
“The strength of our institution lies in its people. We urge the university to stand firm in its values and ensure that all members of our community — present and future — feel supported in their pursuit of knowledge and discovery,” the statement said. It is undersigned by a wide range of student organizations — from cultural to academic and athletic groups — including Indigecanes, UFuerza Latino Dance Team, TRANScendence and the Minority Association of Pre Health Students.
READ MORE: After a university shut down its diversity center, students stepped up
The changes to the university's DEI programs appear to have come after President Trump's Jan. 21 executive order titled 'Ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity.'
In the order, he writes that "institutions of higher education have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or “diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility” (DEIA)."
Although it targets federally-funded institutions, the order also instructs federal agencies to identify up to nine organizations — including schools with endowments of more than $1 billion — for a possible civil rights compliance investigation. It is part of a “strategic enforcement plan” implemented by the Trump Administration to identify and go after diversity programs.
Of the 131 institutions that could be subject to investigation, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, UM is the only school in South Florida that meets the endowment requirements.
It is also one the largest education institutions in the state still funding DEI programs. Major public schools like the University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University parted ways with many DEI programs in 2024 after the DeSantis bans went into effect.
'Web Site Under Construction'
Following the Trump administration's announcement, all websites related to DEI programs or resources at UM were taken down, showing nothing more than a “Web Site Under Construction” alert.
In a statement to the student body Monday afternoon, top UM officials emphasized their support for all students without clarity on how diversity services and programs would continue in the wake of a potential investigation. “External circumstances may shift, but our focus has long been on delivering results and having a positive impact on each other and on those around us,” the statement said.
It appeared to have fallen far short of what student leaders had expected to hear.
“The University’s message leaves important questions unanswered, particularly regarding the reorientation of DEI resources and the specific rationale behind this shift,” several student organizations associated with the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences announced in a public statement.
The UM officials' letter assured the “reorientation” of websites was part of a response to adjust the university’s diversity framework that had already been years in the making.
In 2018, UM began the process of looping its DEI initiatives under the umbrella name “culture of belonging.” University leaders previously had communicated at a student roundtable that they thought this name change would shield them from investigation threats.
At the opening ceremony of Black Awareness Month on Monday, Feb. 3, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement Patricia Whitely addressed the audience reassuring that all diversity services are maintaining administrative support. These services seemingly include the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, LGBTQ+ Student Center and Office of Disability Services, among others.
“We are going to continue to support you, and all of our services. We are obviously monitoring the direction of the federal government, but it is our top priority – and I want everyone to know this – to maintain our services, our programs and our facilities that help celebrate all students,” she said.
Several other higher-education institutions have also preemptively begun backing away from DEI wording, including Northeastern University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Vanderbilt University. Nova Southeastern University, also removed a page previously titled “Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives.”
Academic institutions are hoping to be spared an investigation and potential loss of federal funding if found in the wrong, though the exact consequences of non-compliance are not yet clear.
For student leaders at UM, the biggest offense has been the lack of transparency throughout the process.
“While we acknowledge and support the proactive protection of federal and state funding for research efforts, we cannot ignore the hardships that underrepresented communities are experiencing right now and how removing these resources without transparency is harmful, no matter the intent,” the organizations’ statement said.
Krystina Slanker is one of many students that has benefited from cultural student organizations on campus. Slanker has Asian roots but was adopted from Russia into a Jewish family and raised in South Florida. She said UM gave her the opportunity to explore the multilayer parts of herself and connect more with the Asian community through the Asian American Students Association.
“No matter what, you need resources, you need a community, everybody needs a support system, and this is what I firmly believe in,” she said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition had more than 800 signatures.
