LSU has removed some diversity messages from its website and replaced the word "Inclusion" with "Engagement" in the newly named Division of Engagement, Civil Rights and Title IX.
University President William Tate IV sent a explaining the name change Friday. He called engagement a "central and unifying theme" that could be defined in many ways, but said LSU is focused on two particular forms of the definition.
"For us, it represents a two-way process that enables change on both sides. To fully deliver on the promise our flagship offers, we must engage with each other to exchange views and experiences and share potential solutions to our most pressing challenges," Tate wrote. "Second, engagement reflects a serious commitment. We must commit to find ways to translate our discoveries and talent to serve and elevate the state and its people."
The newly named department will "sharpen its focus" toward four goals, Tate wrote:
- Leadership development
- Career readiness and workforce development
- First-year experience, college readiness, and mentoring
- Health, safety and wellness
LSU officials declined to further explain why the changes were made.
Tate created the division in 2021 when he joined the Office of Diversity with the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX in 2021. Title IX is the federal law that bars sex-based discrimination.
In May, some Republicans in the Louisiana Legislature pushed to require the state's universities to issue a report on the funding, personnel and other aspects of their "diversity equity and inclusion" programs. A bill to do so failed on a 5-6 vote amid criticism from some university leaders and other state leaders who defended the programs' value.
Diversity language removed
Meanwhile, some diversity language has been removed from the website.
A page that previously included the "mission, values and diversity statement" was taken down, though the diversity statement still appears on the page for at least one academic department. The diversity statement says: “LSU strives to create an inclusive, respectful, intellectually challenging climate that embraces individual differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, spirituality, socio-economic status, disability, family status, experiences, opinions, and ideas."
LSU also recently removed a video series titled "Racism: Dismantling the System" that had been staged at the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs within the Manship School of Journalism from the fall 2020 semester until last spring.
The series, focused on dismantling the historical effects of systemic racism, drew criticism from conservative Louisiana lawmakers in 2021 over a panel on "White Rage." The 20 archived videos from the series, posted by the Manship School YouTube page, .
New initiatives
Along with the name change, Tate announced awards will be given to students, faculty and staff who help LSU excel in its engagement mission.
The Tiger Engagement Award will provide two students an annual award of $500. Tate said LSU also will provide a $3,000 stipend to faculty members who "acknowledge and encourage work that engages individuals and the community in the spirit of our land-grant mission."
Through the Scholarship First Staff Award, Tate said two staff members who create increased engagement across campus will be awarded $1,000, and two additional staff members with notable engagement efforts will each receive a $500 stipend.
"We have significant accomplishments to tout, but we should never lose sight of the people who make the university special, and that’s you — our students, faculty, and staff," Tate wrote. "Our university’s success in education, research and creative scholarship, and outreach is dependent upon our community’s willingness to engage with one another both in and outside of our campus gates."