Editors’ note: This story was updated on Feb. 19 to clarify the Phi’s interaction with Spectator editors.

This is a developing story. Read the most recent update on the Trump administration’s DEI mandates here. 

Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government. Washington and Lee University won’t say whether its Office of Inclusion and Engagement will be affected.

The OIE “develops programs that explore, promote and celebrate the increasingly diverse backgrounds of our students, faculty and staff,” according to the university website. Trump has promised to terminate such initiatives, though his executive order only applies to government programs.

“It’s simply too early to understand any potential impact of the Trump administration’s policies on W&L’s Office of Inclusion and Engagement,” said Tammy Futrell, Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Student Engagement, in an email. Futrell declined the Phi’s offer for an interview.

Trump’s executive order applies to any program receiving federal dollars, according to reporting from the Associated Press. Some colleges, such as Northeastern University and Rutgers University, have scaled back their DEI policies as a result. According to an article from Higher Ed Dive, both private and public universities have made changes.

Funding for the OIE comes from the George Floyd Endowment, which the university established in 2020. Money for the endowment came from Black alumni for the goal of promoting racial justice, according to the university website.

But the university website says Washington and Lee does benefit from federal money in several other areas, including financial aid for students and research grants for faculty. Fear of losing such funding sources has put pressure on other colleges to scale back DEI policies, according to the Associated Press.

Calla Andrews, ʼ27, serves as treasurer for the Native American Student Organization (NASO). She said she is concerned by the powerful influence of federal funding on DEI initiatives.

“I think that most people don’t realize just how far of a reach it has,” Andrews said. But she said that because NASO does not directly receive federal funding, it has yet to see any impacts from Trump’s executive order.

Those opposed to the university’s DEI policies have been outspoken in their disapproval. The Facebook page called “Washington and Lee-History and Tradition” has released posts criticizing several programs designed for Black students in the past month.

“Guess there is nothing racially discriminatory about this,” the group captioned a post aimed at the Black Future Leaders Experience Conference, which the university hosted on Feb. 1. Similar posts called out the university’s African Society, Black Alumni Weekend and historically Black Greek Life organizations.

“When will DEI die at Washington and Lee?” read a comment from one of the posts.

Some students feel that ending DEI programs would benefit the university. In December, the student-led magazine The W&L Spectator published an opinion piece called “The Numbered Days of DEI.” It was written by the magazine’s editorial staff, which is composed of undergraduate students.

“Let’s hope this year brought the last round of DEI training,” the authors said. “W&L should stay ahead of the curve by joining hardworking Americans to reject woke fads.”

“I really don’t have anything to add beyond The Spectator’s editorial,” Editor-in-Chief Drew Thompson, ʼ25, said in an email. “It’s definitely a topic we’ll be writing on further.”  The Phi reached out to two other Spectator editors who declined to share their personal thoughts on DEI at Washington and Lee University.

But Andrews said the point of DEI is to provide opportunities for everyone.

“I know it’s, like, a buzzword, but it’s really about the idea of giving everyone an even playing field,” Andrews said. “It’s about making sure that people who are minorities have a chance to be seen, because historically we haven’t.”

Andrews said DEI programs help members of minority groups to build solidarity. But she said those communities will survive regardless of Trump’s policies.

“It’s especially good to have a community like that at a time like this,” Andrews said. “They can take away the name [DEI], but they can’t take away the community.”