The University of Mississippi is closing its Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and opening the Division of Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement, UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce announced in an email to the entire campus on Friday, Aug. 16.
“We stand firm in our commitment to the transformative power of higher education, and now is the time to prioritize our efforts to expand access to higher education,” Boyce said. “However, access alone is not enough. We must commit to providing opportunities that promote academic achievement that leads to meaningful lives and careers.”
Pending approval by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the change came after a year-long internal review by an unnamed group of consultants, the university’s press release said.
Other public universities in the state have already changed the names of their DEI programs. Earlier this year, the head of Mississippi State University’s diversity department gave a presentation to faculty about the restructuring announced last fall; the new name of the division at MSU is the “Division of Access, Opportunity and Success.” The University of Southern Mississippi renamed its DEI office the “Office of Community and Belonging.”
The University of Mississippi is the only university in the state that has submitted a name change proposal to the IHL.
Several existing UM offices will be placed under the Division of Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement, including equal opportunity and regulatory compliance, services for students with disabilities, digital accessibility, the Bonner Leaders Program and a scholarship called the Ole Miss Opportunity Program designed to support low-income Mississippi students.
Ole Miss Opportunity (OMO) is an initiative that falls under the new Department of Access, Opportunity and Engagement. OMO is a guarantee that low-income Mississippi residents will receive financial assistance for the cost of tuition, room and board, and meal subsidies. The purpose of the guarantee is to fill the gaps that state, federal or institutional aid may not cover, the statement said.
Shawnboda Mead, the former vice chancellor of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, will now serve as vice chancellor of the new division, according to Boyce’s statement.
“By integrating and aligning our efforts across new departments and functional areas, we are able to strengthen our engagement, compliance, efficiency and support systems,” Mead said. “Our department’s mission will allow us to better meet the unique needs of our community and ensure that each individual receives the support they need to succeed. This will improve pathways to success, opportunity and achievement.”
Many in Mississippi oppose DEI programs, including Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, who advocates for closing state DEI programs. In an August 17 post on X, White criticized Mississippi universities for the name changes.
“But I’m concerned that Mississippi universities aren’t actually closing their DEI offices, they’re just changing the name,” White wrote. “USM even admitted it. The communications officer there said ‘it was simply a change of office name’ when they gave their diversity office a new name. As long as I’m state auditor, I’ll continue to pay attention to whether universities are spending your tax dollars on controversial or racist programs. As auditor, I can’t stop that spending. I can only shed light on it. We need leaders at the top of our state government to direct the money toward these things. Spend the money on things that help the economy, like roads, police, and tax cuts.”
Sid Salter, vice president of strategic communications at Mississippi State University, has spoken out openly against White’s views on DEI in Mississippi on several occasions.
“I think we’re doing what we need to do in Mississippi. We’re taking in young people who are hungry for good jobs, hungry for a good life and who are in transition,” Salter said in a report by Super Talk Mississippi. “When you talk about what we’re doing to impact access, opportunity and access for students, that’s what we’re doing. Not DEI as (Shad) White understands it.”
