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The University of Michigan’s multi-million-dollar Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program could soon face significant changes or closure.

According to emails shared on X, the university’s board of regents has reportedly instructed UM President Santa Ono to “defund or restructure” the DEI office in response to mounting criticism and public pressure. A final decision is expected when the board votes

Calls to shut down the university’s DEI program intensified following a critical report by The New York Times highlighting its shortcomings and substantial costs.

“In recent years, as D.E.I. programs came under withering attack, Michigan has only doubled down on D.E.I., holding itself out as a model for other schools,” the NYT noted in an October article. “By one estimate, the university has built the largest D.E.I. bureaucracy of any big public university. But an examination by The Times found that Michigan’s expansive — and expensive — D.E.I. program has struggled to achieve its central goals, even as it triggered a cascade of unintended consequences.”

Since 2016, the University of Michigan has invested $250 million in its DEI initiatives, yet students and faculty report a worsening campus climate. According to The New York Times, individuals are now less likely to engage with peers of different races, religions, or political ideologies—precisely the type of interactions DEI programs are designed to encourage. Efforts to increase campus diversity have also fallen short, with Black student enrollment remaining stagnant at 5%.

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