Update: The full meeting of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors on March 25 at 1:15 p.m. has been moved to the Latham Ballroom A/B, at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, 901 Prices Fork Road, in Blacksburg. The meeting will be livestreamed.
Virginia Tech seems to be falling in line with other universities nationwide, including the University of Virginia, to eliminate any perceived diversity, equity and inclusion programs to comply with an executive order by President Donald Trump.
The Board of Visitors is scheduled to meet March 24-25. Its quarterly board meeting is scheduled for March 25 at 1:15 p.m. in Torgeson Hall on the Blacksburg campus.
A draft resolution is making rounds on the internet showing the BOV and its administration will make moves including dissolving the university’s Office for Inclusive Strategy and Excellence.
The InclusiveVT website said the initiative is part of a commitment to Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) in the spirit of inclusive communities, education and excellence.
There are 10 faculty and staff caucuses at Virginia Tech representing the following groups: Indigenous, Appalachian, Asian Pacific Islander Desi American, Black, disability, Hispanic and Latinx, Jewish, LGBTQ+, veterans and women.
According to its website, Virginia Tech acknowledges “aspects of our legacy that reflected bias and exclusion.”
To increase access and inclusion, Virginia Tech, among other affirmations, said it values human diversity and rejects all forms of prejudice and discrimination.
UVA passed similar resolution earlier this month
The University of Virginia Board of Visitors unanimously passed an almost identical resolution on March 7 dissolving its Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin celebrated the news and issued a news release touting the decision by its BOV.
“DEI is done at the University of Virginia,” Youngkin said. “We stand for the universal truth that everyone is created equal, and opportunity is at the heart of Virginians’ and Americans’ future.”
UVA has not issued a public statement regarding the resolution.
Compliance
In the draft resolution, the BOV also requests Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands updates members on compliance with the resolution within 30 days.
The draft resolution directs the university to take the following actions:
- Ensure that all university programs, policies, practices, and actions in every regard comply with the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal civil rights laws. This includes, but is not limited to: admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic and campus life;
- Ensure there are no efforts to circumvent prohibitions on the use of race by relying on proxies or other indirect means to accomplish such end; and
- Ensure there are no third-party contractors, clearinghouses or aggregators that are being used
Board of Visitors full schedule
Monday, March 24
- 9:30 a.m.: Board member information session, Latham Ballroom A/B, The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, 901 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg
- 1:15 p.m.: Finance and Resource Management Committee, closed session followed by open session in Latham Ballroom A/B
- 3:15 p.m.: Academic, Research and Student Affairs Committee, open and closed sessions, Latham Ballroom A/B
Tuesday, March 25
- 7:45 a.m.: Board committee chair meeting, open session, Old Guard Room, The Inn at Virginia Tech
- 8:30 a.m.: Compliance, Audit, and Risk Committee closed session, Latham C
- 9:30 a.m.: Finance and Resource Management Committee and Buildings and Grounds Committee joint open session followed by a closed session in Latham Ballroom A/B
- 11 a.m.: Buildings and Grounds Committee open session, Latham A/B
- 11 a.m.: Compliance, Audit and Risk Committee open session, Latham C
- 1:15 p.m.: Board of Visitors quarterly board meeting, 2100 Torgersen Hall, 620 Drillfield Drive, Virginia Tech
The university will also consider a resolution on the 2025-26 tuition and fee rates and review designs of a new business building planned in Blacksburg.
No public comment will be allowed during the two days of meetings.
The full meeting of the board on Tuesday and the Monday morning information session will be livestreamed.
Potential impact of removing DEI from Virginia Tech
In addition to dissolving the university’s Office for Inclusive Strategy and Excellence, it is unknown how far the impacts will be felt across the campus.
For example, will the resolution impact the Ujima Living-Learning Community that supports African American students and their culture?
Also unknown is the fate of website pages that recognize the first Black students and Corps of Cadets members including Irving Peddrew III, Charlie Yates, Lindsay Cherry and Floyd Wilson, who faced challenges including not being allowed to live on campus or eat in school cafeterias, or an archive page related to Black history at Virginia Tech.
Similar website pages have been removed at the federal government level.
Related stories
- Virginia Tech Board of Visitors weigh tuition, fee increases for 2025-26
- AAUP urges UVA to ‘immediately reverse course’ on move to kill DEI programs
- UVA Board of Visitors does Youngkin’s bidding: ‘DEI is done at the University of Virginia’
- UVA Board of Visitors to discuss Trump EOs on trans healthcare, immigration, DEI
- ‘Lives will be lost’: Virginia Tech faces $13M loss if research funding restricted
- VMI superintendent addresses BOV ouster: ‘Bias, emotion and ideology … swayed the board’
- The MAGAs got Cedric Wins at VMI: Is UVA President Jim Ryan next?
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Crystal Graham
