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The University of Minnesota Law School is halting the hiring of a new assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion as President Donald Trump continues to crack down on DEI in federal programs.

Dean William McGeveran said he “had no choice but to pause the search” for an assistant dean of DEI. McGeveran made the comments in an email on Friday. The school has spent at least the last three months searching for a new assistant DEI dean and is canceling scheduled visits for the finalists.

McGeveran cited a changing landscape in higher education, following Trump’s order that put federal DEI workers on paid leave. He also said the school is reassessing its DEI programs.

“It’s disappointing,” said Caleb Campbell, a first-year law school student. He’s also a member of OutLaw, an LGBTQ+ student association at U of M’s law school.

“It makes me question the school’s overarching commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, if they’re not even willing to keep going on a process that they literally already started,” Campbell added.

Desmond Bassett, who is Black and a representative for second-year law students, says he’s concerned about the student body. According to the U of M Law School, his year was

one of the most diverse group of students

 — 52 percent were students of color, LGBTQ+ and/or first-generation college graduates.

“We all see the value in having a diverse environment, and we’re concerned about the school’s stance on diversity and whether or not students are going to be receiving the support that they need, because we are losing a position that we had last year, and have spent months this year looking to fill,” Bassett said.

The Trump administration has made calls to gut diversity programs at universities and is vowing to 

“advance a measure to have them fined up to the entire amount of their endowment.”

In a statement, the university said it is keeping an eye on “changing federal policies,” but isn’t abandoning DEI initiatives.

“We want to assure everyone in our community that we value the activities that support diversity of thought and inclusion, which strengthen our teaching and research,” the statement read. “We are not rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion at the University and we are not making any preemptive changes to our existing programs.”

Correction (Feb. 2, 2025): An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the author of the diversity statement. The story has been updated.

Nicole Ki

Host

University of Minnesota Law School Dean William McGeveran said the school had “no choice” but to pause the search for assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion, citing a shift in the national landscape for higher ed.

U of M Law School holds off on hiring assistant dean of DEI

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