All web pages related to Emporia State’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, including pages for the Intercultural Center and Diversity Ambassadors, were removed from emporia.edu on March 12 in what Provost Brent Thomas says is under the direction of the Kansas Board of Regents. 

Communication from the University regarding the decision is expected to be released to the public soon according to the provost. Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Gwen Larson said that KBOR has “provided direction to begin to make changes to DEI.” 

The move comes as the Trump administration continues to target diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education institutions across the country. 

According to Mike Torres, director of the Intercultural Center, the division and the university are both working with KBOR to “determine actions (they) are required to take at this time as a member institution,” and took down the webpages in compliance with KBOR’s directive. 

Torres assures university students and staff that the resources under the DEI banner have not gone away. 

“The most important information we are working to share out on campus right now is that Intercultural Center and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are still in operation, so please let us know if you need support or resources and please feel free to direct others to us for the same,” he said.

As of March 13, virtually all links to DEI-related pages redirect to the emporia.edu home page