Students, faculty discuss impacts of federal orders on equity initiatives

Members of the Lehigh community have expressed concerns over recent executive orders terminating diversity, equity and inclusion policies. 

A panel was held this week to discuss the potential impacts of these orders, as well as the reasoning behind the recent name changes of advocacy centers on campus. 

Hosted by Lehigh’s Gender, Leadership and Empowerment Center on Tuesday, the panel included Henry Odi, deputy vice president for equity and community, Austin Duncan, assistant professor of disability dependence, Aminata Coulibaly, ‘25, Sophia Barro, ‘25, and Kwynsky Miguel, ‘25.  

Odi addressed concerns about institutional changes and said while the university will comply with the law, his commitment to Lehigh’s core values remains unchanged. 

At the beginning of the panel, Odi spoke about the recent renaming of advocacy centers under the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, formerly the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He said the decision to rename centers was planned two years in advance and was not a reaction to recent executive orders. 

As part of the rebranding, the Center for Gender Equity is now the Gender, Leadership and Empowerment Center, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs has been renamed the Center for Cultural Engagement.

Other centers, including the Pride Center, the Center for Spirituality and Dialogue, and the Center for Student Access and Success, are also in the process of being renamed.

Emily Rosenberg, ‘25, attended the panel and asked Odi about the rationale behind these name changes.

In response, Odi emphasized that the adjustments align with Lehigh’s strategic plan, which he said promotes inclusive excellence and ensures the work of these offices reflects an evolving mission.

“I understand that there is a narrative, but this is work that has been in progress for two years,” he said. “We have leaders and directors who redirected their focus to make sure that the inclusiveness of their work and the strategy behind their work aligns with what the office stands for.”

Coulibaly, a member of the Black Student Union, said even as an optimist, she feels fear and confusion about the future. 

She also expressed concerns about communication gaps between the university and its students, as communication with the general student body can often feel non-linear, Coulibaly said. 

“Sometimes, I hear information from students or from faculty, which is completely new information that I’ve never heard before,” she said. 

Coulibaly then asked attendees what could be done to strengthen communication so students aren’t left with lingering questions.

Odi responded and said many questions could be answered if students checked their emails regularly.

Tracey King, associate vice president of external affairs, said the Office of University Communications and Public Affairs remains conscious of the information it shares with students.

“We are being very intentional about the information we are distilling related to the volume of executive orders, department directives and letters of guidance that our office has received in the course of the past few weeks,” King said. 

She also said the office is aware of the impact of executive orders on academic offerings, research and all aspects of the university. While some may feel there is a communication gap, she said the office aims to ensure accuracy before disseminating information. 

Regularly attending community conversations and city council meetings can help close gaps in communication, King said.

Coulibaly then said student leaders of various organizations on campus should be a part of the strategic plan and the conversations around it.

“The student leaders on campus, we are the ones that are most active in bringing people together,” Coulibaly said. “We are the first people students reach out to when they are confused and want to know what’s going on, but we’re just as clueless as them.”

The Lehigh Student Senate is engaged in these discussions surrounding strategic planning, Odi said. He advised student organization leaders to reach out to their senate representatives for information. 

Holona Ochs, director of the Marcon Institute, was also in attendance and emphasized the importance of community involvement in information dissemination. 

“If you are queer and not part of the queer community discord, if you are Black and not part of the African American club, and if you are Hispanic and not in the Hispanic club, join those groups and be a part of them,” Ochs said. 

Showing up to these meetings, she said, allows students to access information faster.

Miguel, a member of the Center for Cultural Engagement, said she encourages students to explore different cultural organizations and embrace diverse identities during their time at Lehigh.

As a first generation Filipino-American, Miguel said she believes one person can represent multiple cultures and identities simultaneously.

She also said before coming to Lehigh, she was unaware of the meaning of certain terms, like “xenophobia” and “microaggression,” or what the letters in LGBTQIA+ represented. 

Since coming to college, however, Miguel has taken the time to learn about different communities through exploring cultural and identity-based clubs, she said.

“All the cultural clubs are available to all of you to explore, because we want to celebrate our identities with you all,” Miguel said. “Since there are so many executive orders that limit the idea of DEI, I want you to get outside of your comfort zone and actually take the time to learn about different identities.”

Duncan then addressed the importance of disability inclusion within DEI discussions, saying disability issues are often overlooked or forgotten. 

He said disability isn’t a “sexy” topic, which is why it often gets left out of conversations. 

Before coming to Lehigh, Duncan was a part of a DEI faculty senate committee at the University of Arizona. There, he said, he had to fight for recognition for people with disabilities, especially those with invisible disabilities like himself. 

“I am here not just because I am disability-hired, but also because I got my PhD in anthropology from one of the best institutions and did good research, and none of that would have been possible without accommodations,” he said. “Changes in the system allowed me to thrive, and this is what inclusion really means.”

Duncan acknowledged accessibility challenges on campus but said there are efforts in progress, such as the establishment of the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies, as a step towards improvement.

“My message to you is to not feel despondent about the current state of affairs, but realize that the entire college community is behind you,” Duncan said. “We need support going forward, because we do have plans, and the university does have plans.”