Following Trump guidance, words like ‘equity’ and ‘access’ have quietly been cut at Wisconsin tech colleges

Cleo Krejci, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Words like equity, culture and access have been removed from job titles and other initiatives across Wisconsin’s technical colleges in response to directives from the administration of President Donald Trump.

Eight of 16 schools within the Wisconsin Technical College System have either renamed or eliminated a job position, department or initiative in response to federal guidance prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion-related goals, according to a review by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Dissolved or renamed entirely are the Diversity Relations department at Moraine Park Technical College, the DEI office at Gateway Technical College and the Office of Institutional Belonging, Access and Cultural Engagement at Waukesha County Technical College, among others.

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Some colleges told the Journal Sentinel their changes were made to comply with federal guidance, without having received direct threats to their schools.

Multiple colleges cited the “Dear Colleague” letter released by Trump administration officials in February, which that threatened to pull funding from colleges that do not eliminate all considerations of race from policies and programs.

That U.S. Department of Education letter argued schools across the U.S. have “toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism,” and created DEI programs in response.

It’s among many examples of ways in which the federal government has threatened to eliminate funding for U.S. colleges and universities unless they undo DEI-related jobs and programs.

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