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The University of Iowa announced Thursday that the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity will be permanently closed on March 27 under direction from the Iowa Board of Regents.
The decision comes as President Donald Trump and Iowa Republicans look to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs from universities, government, and the private sector.
In a press release announcing the closure the UI said it was to comply with state and federal laws that banned DEI programs. The Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity was previously the UI’s DEI department but was restructured and renamed in April 2024.
“This action will ensure the university is in compliance with state and federal laws as well as recent changes to accreditation requirements across numerous disciplines,” the release said.
When the UI restructured their DEI department, however, other regent universities shuttered their programs.
The Office of Civil Rights Compliance will now report to the Associate Vice President of Administrative Affairs. The release said the move will allow the office to maintain functions required by federal and state law, but allow them to identify efficiencies.
TRIO student support services will move into the University College within the Office of the Provost.
Offices and functions not required by state or federal law will be eliminated or reviewed, according to the release. The training department will close on March 27, and the university will review student support programs to ensure they comply with state law and move them to the University College.
Three employees will be reassigned, and one full-time position will be eliminated. The university has eliminated 12 full-time positions since spring 2024 to comply with Iowa Board of Regents directives, according to the release.
Undergraduate Student Government President Brenda Ramirez and Vice President Addison Eckard issued a joint statement on Thursday on Instagram in response to the news of the closure.
“Closing the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity is yet another example of overreach by the state legislature and board of regents,” the statement said. “These closures and changes, even when framed as protections, undermine the very principles of academic freedom they claim to uphold… A university’s values should be shaped by its students, not by external pressures that seek to dismantle them.”