The Demise of DEI: An Assembly Reporting Collaboration

Across the country, colleges have faced increasing pressure in recent years to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on their campuses. Since President Donald Trump returned to office with a campaign promise to end such efforts, colleges in North Carolina and elsewhere have scrubbed the three politically charged words—and a growing list of others deemed related—from websites, job titles, and research proposals.

In this project, The Assembly and five student newspapers—The Daily Tar Heel of UNC-Chapel Hill, The Chronicle of Duke University, the Niner Times of UNC Charlotte, the Old Gold & Black of Wake Forest University, and The Seahawk of UNC Wilmington—explore how public and private colleges in North Carolina have responded to the rapidly changing landscape.

Our reporting reveals that schools across the state are struggling to find the balance between complying with federal directives, contending with state-level demands, and meeting the needs of diverse student bodies and workforces. Featured stories from our student newspaper partners go deeper on how changes to DEI-related programs have impacted students and their college experiences in North Carolina.

Assembly Feature

In North Carolina, It’s Do or DEI

Federal and state officials have declared war on DEI at North Carolina’s colleges and universities. But what their orders mean is sometimes far from clear.

by The Assembly and Partners