Although President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth with Harvard University has received most of the media attention, it’s clear that his campaign against “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies is having a ripple effect across America’s colleges.

In the latest sign of progress, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced this week that it would be shuttering its DEI department.

As Fox News reported:

MIT President Sally Kornbluth announced the closing, or “sunsetting,” of the Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) last Thursday.

“As I’ve said many times, MIT is in the talent business,” Kornbluth’s announcement read. “Our success depends on attracting exceptionally talented people of every background, from across the country and around the world, and making sure everyone at MIT feels welcome and supported, so they can do their best work and thrive.”

Among the top priorities listed in the memo, titled “How we support our community,” was a section with the header “Core programs will continue, but we will wind down the central ICEO.”

The ongoing trend among US universities has been widely documented on social media:

BREAKING: The University of Southern California removes DEI from its values. pic.twitter.com/Rtk1PDtfJX

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 31, 2025

Universities that have recently ended or rolled back DEI policies:

– University of Iowa
– Boise State University
– University of Michigan
– University of Texas
– University of North Carolina
– Iowa State University
– University of Northern Iowa
– University of Utah

In Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/dJoCgLR3a5

— Christian Collins (@CollinsforTX) December 31, 2024

WIN: James Madison University in Virginia ends all DEI practices. pic.twitter.com/B2EWBM0F3w

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 14, 2025

Of course, plenty of skeptics warn that whatever takes the place of these DEI programs might be just as insidious:

SCOOP: @WCUofPA changed the name of their DEI Dept to “Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance.” It’s being run by the same person who ran their DEI Dept. All searches for DEI now redirects to this new department name.

They’re still implementing DEI, just under a different… pic.twitter.com/T6ADjMpsJT

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 24, 2025

The New York Post also covered MIT’s decision:

In March, the Trump administration expanded a civil rights probe into the Cambridge, Mass. school over alleged racial discrimination.

That deepened a Title VI investigation of reported antisemitic harassment and sex discrimination on campus, according to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” McMahon said in a statement putting MIT and 44 other universities on notice. “We will not yield on this commitment.”

And here’s some additional evidence that just addressing the “DEI” label doesn’t get rid of the underlying issues:

The administrator whispers and jokes about how she isn’t supposed to say that DEI is still happening at the university.

She says “We’ve renamed, we’ve reorganized, we’ve recalibrated so to speak.” pic.twitter.com/iYDXqCtytS

— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) May 28, 2025