Under Pressure: How Institutional and Political Influences Predict the Dismantling of DEI in Higher Education

• In Event: Accountability to What: Institution Responses to Shifting Equity Landscapes

Abstract

As pressures to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education continue to spread—often without legal mandates—it is essential to identify which institutions are most vulnerable. This paper examines how institutional characteristics, student racial composition, and state political influences predict the removal of DEI policies. Grounded in Hurtado's Multicontextual Model for Diverse Learning Environments, the study employs a linear probability model using IPEDS data and tracking sources from The Chronicle of Higher Education. Findings reveal that public institutions are significantly more likely to remove DEI compared to private institutions, with state-level politics serving as the most powerful predictors. These results underscore how sociopolitical climates shape institutional commitments to equity, raising concerns about the long-term impacts on diverse learning environments.

Author

• Dreama Heaven Rhodes, University of Michigan