The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Harvard University will now be called the Office of Community and Campus Life.
Sherri A. Charleston, previously Harvard’s chief diversity officer and now the chief community and campus life officer, shared this news via email on April 28, 2025, according to The Harvard Crimson.
The announcement aligns with the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming at schools and universities nationwide.
“In the weeks and months ahead, we will take steps to make this change concrete and to work with all of Harvard’s schools and units to implement these vital objectives, including shared efforts to reexamine and reshape the missions and programs of offices across the university,” Charleston wrote, per The Crimson.
Charleston noted that in the 2024 campus-wide Pulse Survey, students, faculty, and staff reported feeling a strong sense of belonging; however, a significant number still felt uncomfortable expressing differing opinions or engaging with those who have opposing viewpoints.
She said the findings highlight Harvard’s need to rethink how it fosters community, emphasizing the support of free expression.
The newly established Office of Community and Campus Life will focus on broadening its cross-cultural engagement programs, assisting first-generation and low-income students, and creating more platforms for conversations around differing viewpoints.
Monday’s announcement marks Harvard’s first significant change to its DEI programming since President Donald Trump took office for a second term on Jan. 20.
In April, federal agencies sent two letters urging Harvard to dismantle its DEI initiatives or risk losing billions of dollars in federal funding, AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Harvard publicly rejected the administration’s demands and, in response, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for imposing a $2.2 billion funding freeze.
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In the letter announcing the lawsuit, Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber said the administration’s demands violate the First Amendment, disregard federal law, and threaten life-saving medical research.
The Ivy League institution requested a federal judge declare the funding freeze unlawful, block it, and prevent the government from freezing funds without adhering to the necessary procedures outlined in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The consequences of the government’s overreach will be severe and long-lasting,” Garber said. “…Indiscriminately slashing medical, scientific, and technological research undermines the nation’s ability to save American lives, foster American success, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.”
