Chapman DEI has been reorganized and renamed
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In response to the Trump Administration’s initiatives against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Chapman is dismantling the existing DEI office and introducing new position titles that are in compliance with federal demands.
President Daniele C. Struppa sent an email to Chapman students, faculty and staff on April 17 alerting the community of “organizational changes” made in order to meet requirements set for universities that receive federal funding.
“Though our policies make clear that we do not engage in discrimination, we have been reviewing many aspects of our operations, programs, and communications to make adjustments and clarifications to comply with the federal government’s directive and demonstrate our support for all of our students,” the email states.
The organizational changes include the addition of a new unit, called “First-Generation and Promising Futures Programs,” which will be led by Dean of Students Jerry Price.
This new office “focuses on providing support to all first-generation students and programs,” according to Struppa.
Some previous staff members at the DEI office will be holding positions in this new office, which are detailed in Struppa’s email. Gabriela Castaneda, former assistant vice president in the Office of DEI and inclusion director for Hispanic/Latinx achievement, will be taking over as vice president of the new program.
Additionally, Kevin Nguyen-Stockbridge, the first director of LGBTQ+ pride and achievement, is now director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Director for Black excellence and achievement Misty Levingston will be director of First-Generation and Promising Futures Programs. Younes Mourchid, director of Middle Eastern and North African achievement, will now be co-director of the Tutoring and Learning Center.
Struppa announced last month that Vice President of DEI Reg Stewart, who was the inaugural head of the department when it was established in 2021, was on a leave of absence. In an email sent to faculty and staff on April 14, Struppa confirmed that Stewart had permanently left the university.
The reorganization of the DEI office is one response to the Trump Administration’s new requirements in wording and programming at universities. Schools that don’t cooperate face threats of major cuts in crucial federal funding.
Recently, Harvard University’s president Alan Garber released a statement saying that the school would not be complying with the agreements issued by the U.S. Department of Education. The government responded by freezing billions of dollars.
After Chapman was listed as one of 60 schools under investigation by the federal government for alleged discrimination, the status of DEI and funding has been unclear. This had led to students and faculty protesting for the protection of DEI and asking for more transparency from the university’s administration.
Before Struppa’s email about the reorganization of positions, there had been no statement or updates to students in regards to DEI or federal funding.
Jeff Pearlman, a sports journalism professor at Chapman, commented on the university’s decision.
“This move by Chapman is a pathetic and weak effort to appease a president who cannot be appeased,” Pearlman said. “Chapman is a private entity. It can hire who it wants, how it wants. It could have, like Harvard, fought this and preserved its dignity and academic integrity. It could have soared and led the resistance to an aspiring authoritarian.”
Struppa has not responded to The Panther’s request for clarification of the status of the DEI office as of the publication of this article.
This is a developing story that The Panther will continue to report on as the situation unfolds.
