GW paused its search for a vice provost to lead the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement as officials review programs in light of Trump-era policies, leadership changes and the University’s new strategic framework, a spokesperson confirmed.
A University spokesperson said officials put the search on hold after launching it following the former vice provost’s departure 15 months ago, citing internal and external factors that prompted a reevaluation of programs, including updated federal guidance on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the strategic framework GW released Tuesday. ODECE’s former vice provost, Caroline Laguerre-Brown, left GW in July 2024 after eight years, and officials have largely stayed quiet on the status of filling the position, last describing the search as “ongoing” in November 2024.
“GW maintains a strong commitment to fostering within the bounds of the law a supportive, welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community, as such an environment is central to our ability to pursue our mission with excellence,” the spokesperson said in an email.
President Donald Trump over the last few months has intensified his attacks on DEI initiatives nationwide, starting with a January executive order directing the elimination of DEI positions in the federal government “to the maximum extent allowed by law” and warning that universities failing to comply could lose federal funding. More than 400 campuses in 47 states and the District have made changes to DEI offices, jobs, training and related activities since January 2023, with an uptick heading into the 2025-2026 academic year in light of shifting federal policies.
Out of GW’s 12 peer schools, eight have shuttered their DEI offices — including the University of Miami, Syracuse University and Northeastern University — since the start of Trump’s second term. GW Law quietly dismantled their DEI website sometime between December 2024 and early March, but the remainder of GW’s diversity sites appear to be intact.
In University President Ellen Granberg’s letter to the community earlier this month reflecting on the “convergence of challenges” GW is facing, she said officials are looking at a path forward for diversity and inclusion efforts on campus that is “fully inclusive” and “welcoming to all.” She said officials are working with the general counsel’s office and outside legal experts to “validate” that GW’s diversity initiatives meet federal law standards.
Granberg said officials will provide updated guidance to ODECE leaders and other community representatives who will then decide how to sustain DEI efforts on campus while complying with federal law.
Officials in August said they were evaluating a July memo from the Department of Justice outlining potential legal and financial ramifications if institutions of higher education engage in what the Trump administration defines as discriminatory practices, including DEI efforts.
As of Friday, there is no public job posting for the vice provost position. The University spokesperson declined to comment on why officials have not named an interim vice provost for ODECE as they have for other vacant leadership positions.
The spokesperson said it is not uncommon for leadership searches to pause “during times of transition,” so new leaders can reevaluate the position “in the context of broader university goals” but did not specify when officials paused hiring efforts.
Officials are in the midst of a national search for a new provost after former Provost Chris Bracey stepped down at the end of June and was succeeded by Interim Provost John Lach. The vice provost for ODECE is housed within the Office of the Provost.
The University spokesperson also states officials need to assess programs in the context of the strategic framework officials unveiled Tuesday. The framework includes goals like increasing student success and meeting full demonstrated financial need and states GW is committed to creating a “fully inclusive environment.”
The spokesperson said four ODECE administrators now report directly to Lach, including Associate Vice Provost Jordan Shelby West, Helen Cannaday, the director for community engagement & DC partnerships, Amy Cohen, the executive director of the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service and Senior Advisor for Equity and Title IX Compliance Catherine Guttman-McCabe. Each of these roles typically reports to ODECE’s vice provost.
ODECE consists of five hubs, including the Multicultural Student Services Center, Disability Support Services, the Nashman Center, the Title IX Office and the Office of Access and Opportunity, which officials created in June.
Within the ODECE, officials have stalled the Diversity Summit for a second time this year, postponing what was slated to be the tenth summit until spring 2026, after initially planning to host the event in the fall, after not hosting one during the 2024-25 academic year despite recent precedent of holding one during the spring semester. Officials said they postponed the summit to “reimagine a new opportunity” for the event.
Walt Ecton, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, said universities across the nation are figuring out how to best balance staying in the good graces of the federal government, which provides research funding and financial aid while protecting their diversity efforts.
“I think that one challenge that a lot of universities are in right now is that it’s not necessarily clear what direction things will be going in in the next several years,” Ecton said. “And so I think a lot of universities right now are taking their time in coming up with a new approach.”
Ecton said candidates might also be hesitant to put their names into consideration for a high-level diversity-related position, out of fear they might be targeted for working for and supporting what the Trump administration views as discrimination.
He said universities across the nation are trying a variety of methods to handle diversity and inclusion efforts, with some closing their DEI offices entirely while other institutions are rebranding them.
“I think that everyone is kind of waiting to see what the right approach is,” Ecton said. “I think, as a country and as a field, higher education is learning right now, and I think it’s not necessarily clear what all the right answers and right approaches are.”
