Dr. Emelyn dela Peña
PHILADELPHIA — As democratic ideals and inclusive participation face sustained pressure across the nation, higher education leaders are gathering this week for the 2026 National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education’s annual conference. Under the theme "Reclaiming ‘We the People’: Democracy and the Renewal of Higher Education," the convening serves as a critical space for those who are invested in the work of diversity to move beyond crisis management and toward the intentional protection of equity and belonging.
The conference arrives at a consequential time for the profession, one marked by a shifting sociopolitical climate and heightened scrutiny of diversity initiatives.
Despite the different ways institutions are navigating the times — with some changing the names of their DEI offices to avoid federal scrutiny and others doubling down on the importance of naming the work explicitly — Dr. Emelyn dela Peña, NADOHE's president, says the work remains the same.
“At the end of the day, we support students and their needs,” she said. “Before there was a field of DEI there were people working in the field. We had people who cared.”
Though there are fewer attendees this year than in previous years, dela Peña said she is encouraged by the number of people who continue to demonstrate their commitment to the work by showing up, even when they don’t have chief diversity officer titles.
The program of this year’s conference highlights a strategic pivot toward "contextual courage"— the willingness to take values-aligned risks within institutional roles — and the necessity of restorative leadership. Key sessions are set to explore the intersection of free speech and inclusion, the ethical tests facing DEI infrastructure, and the role of shared equity leadership in embedding responsibility for inclusion across entire campuses.
