ALLENDALE — Students rallied on Thursday evening on Grand Valley State University's campus to protest a potential elimination to the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices in response to pressure from the Trump Administration.

The protest took place outside of James H. Zumberg Hall on April 3, with about 20 people participating, grabbing the attention of students walking to class. 

“D-E-I is on the line! Grand Valley don’t comply,” chanted the student protesters. Other slogans included “Education is our right! Not just for the rich and white!” 

The GVSU Progressive Student Union helped organize the event (with support from Voices for Justice and Nourishing Black Women) after the University of Michigan eliminated its DEI offices last month, prompting anxiety that the GVSU administration will do the same. 

Many students shared their concerns about the potential removal of DEI, and critiqued the controversial U-M decision.  

“As you all may know, the University of Michigan has terminated their DEI office and programs out of fear of losing federal funding,” said GVSU senior Jada Dobbins to the crowd through a megaphone. “This not only shows how quickly institutions will bow to the whims of the Trump Administration and comply to their demands, but how quickly they will turn on the communities they claim to serve.”

Dobbins, who is majoring in global studies and social impact, said removing DEI will negatively affect the university's ability to retain students and staff — which will stifle campus diversity.

“I was very surprised when I heard the news,” said Owen Frassetto, a member of the Progressive Student Union, talking about U-M's decision to abruptly close its DEI offices. 

Frassetto said GVSU will more than likely close its DEI offices based on other recent actions taken by the university, including rolling back Title IX policies and shrinking LGBTQ+ protections, according to the school’s campus newspaper, The Lanthorn. 

Frassetto also pointed to the controversial removal of a student's artwork exploring patriarchy and homophobia after facing pressure from local far-right groups and a controversial speaking event through Turning Point USA’s GVSU chapter that hosted anti-trans activist Chloe Cole.

Frassetto said Turning Point shouldn't have been allowed to coordinate the event because the chapter's status as a student organization was frozen, but GVSU officials allowed the event to proceed.  

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“There’s a lot of organizations here, like the LGBTQ Resource Center, or the Women Support Center, and if (the GVSU administration) get rid of DEI, that will also be taken away,” said Sylvia Sternberg, who joined PSU a week ago and believes the university should think of its students' needs first before money. 

GVSU officials haven’t yet spoken publicly about the future of DEI. 

According to members from PSU, more protests will be planned in the near future.

— Christopher Thome covers business and development and politics for ONN. Contact him at cthome@ottawanewsnetwork.org.