Princeton Doubles Down on DEI Amid Nationwide Attacks

The pressure on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at colleges across the nation has been building, and the campaign and subsequent reelection of President Donald Trump has only intensified concerns of many DEI advocates.

Trump has proposed eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, which upholds laws that prohibit discrimination, and in 2020, the Trump administration called training that focuses on race theory and white privilege “divisive, anti-American propaganda.”

As of November 2024, The Chronicle of Higher Education had documented 213 college campuses in 33 states that have pulled back on DEI initiatives or cut them altogether. Public institutions in conservative-leaning states are facing the most pressure, but some private schools, like MIT and Harvard, are also rolling back policies.

But Princeton administrators have voiced steadfast support of DEI initiatives. Michele Minter, the University’s vice provost for institutional equity and diversity, has “seen the national climate get much more complex around some of these issues,” and she acknowledges that “many other campuses are facing some very significant attacks.” She credits the support of University presidents Shirley Tilghman and Christopher Eisgruber ’83 for Princeton’s commitment to and expansion of DEI work despite necessary adjustments to accommodate evolving legal and regulatory requirements.

In his January 2024 State of the University letter, Eisgruber wrote, “America’s leading universities are more dedicated to scholarly excellence today than at any previous point in their history, and our commitment to inclusivity is essential to that excellence.”

Minter estimates there are about 75 DEI practitioners at the University spanning many different offices. They meet monthly as a group over breakfast to build community, undergo professional development training, and discuss best practices, current issues, and the University’s values. Their work impacts the campus in ways both obvious and not so obvious, from language on job postings to partnerships with local community organizations.

Minter said the University is always trying to “do things in an appropriate and legal way, but also … keep doing the core work in keeping with Princeton’s values.”

“Our diversity and inclusion efforts are critical to our pursuit of the best available talent, wherever it may be found, and to our shared pursuit of knowledge and teaching.”

— Frederick Wherry *04, professor of sociology and the inaugural vice dean for diversity and inclusion in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty

As evidence, she points to “investments in innovative programs,” such as the Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation, which launched in 2022 and pairs Princeton faculty with those from five historically Black colleges and universities on a range of projects. New spaces and centers — such as the development of the AccessAbility Center, designed as a gathering space for all and opened in 2017, and the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access & Opportunity, which was established in 2021 and houses many longstanding DEI programs — are also proof of Princeton’s expansion.

“Our focus is really on educational access and opportunity,” said Khristina Gonzalez, director of the Emma Bloomberg Center, as well as “thinking about ways that we can ensure equity [from] the moment … students are considering whether they should go to college” through their college graduation.

Gonzalez’s staff of about 20 manages programs including the Princeton University Preparatory Program, which since 2001 has prepared local students for college; the Freshman Scholars Institute, for incoming freshmen; and the Transfer Scholars Initiative, which commenced in 2023 to support community college students in the state.

Abby Lu ’26, the outgoing DEI chair for the Undergraduate Student Government, appreciates that some University administrators are “very proactive when we reach out to them about things,” such as engaging in discussions around a gender-inclusive bathroom proposal for Hobson College, scheduled to open in 2027. Lu sometimes gets frustrated with timelines, but she believes Princeton has the systems in place to help those with diverse backgrounds reach their full potential.

Miles Smith, associate athletic director for diversity, equity, and inclusion, told PAW via email that his office reaches all of the more than 1,000 athletes at Princeton through team-specific programming and affinity groups. Within the last year, Jewish and Latinx athlete collectives were established, bringing the total number to five, and this summer, athletics ran the first iteration of Tigers Together Journey to Athletics, a partnership with nonprofit mentorship organizations serving K-5 students from central New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Andy Cofino returned to Princeton in 2024 as the inaugural assistant vice president for diversity, well-being, and belonging, after previously serving as Princeton’s program coordinator at the then-LGBT Center (now Gender + Sexuality Resource Center) from 2013 to ’18. After his six-year absence from the University, Cofino noticed a lot of changes, citing “a very socially and politically polarized environment and society,” which can make students at Princeton and elsewhere afraid to engage with one another and create tension and anxiety. He said he believes the University needs “to be responsive to the evolving needs of our students.”

Along with Minter and other DEI administrators PAW interviewed, Cofino credits the University’s leadership with providing a strong foundation for support on which the entire community can build.

“Perhaps people seem to think that diversity, equity, and inclusion only happen in certain places, but really it’s up to all of us within the University setting to ensure that every student that is here on our campus and every [alum] who graduates feels a sense of connection, a sense of belonging, and affinity with the institution, because they have felt welcomed, included, affirmed, and valued,” said Cofino.

Frederick Wherry *04, a professor of sociology and the inaugural vice dean for diversity and inclusion in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, sees “the turmoil out there” related to DEI, but he said Princeton is “not moving with the vagaries and looking up to see where the wind blows.”

No matter who is occupying the Oval Office, the University’s “mission remains the same,” according to Wherry. “Our diversity and inclusion efforts are critical to our pursuit of the best available talent, wherever it may be found, and to our shared pursuit of knowledge and teaching.”

Citing students, faculty, and alumni who are working in big teams on ambitious projects like building spaceships and discovering cures for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Wherry said, “If you start having inclusion issues on the team, then the work can slow down or stop. And so, part of what people don’t see is when we say that diversity and inclusion [are] critical for the operations of the University, we mean quite literally.”