In a message to faculty and staff, Provost Dr. Patrick J. Wolfe informed the university community that the changes were made "under the authority of our Board of Trustees" and described the move as "a necessary part of our future as a public university and a state educational institution."
The announcement comes amid a national wave of legislative and policy actions targeting DEI programs at public universities, with several states passing laws restricting or eliminating such initiatives. The timing coincides with broader federal policy shifts that have created uncertainty around diversity programming in higher education.
As part of the restructuring, Purdue will consolidate existing programs including the Minority Engineering Program (MEP) and Boilermaker Opportunity Program (BOP) into a new "Boilermaker Opportunity Program Plus (BOP+)" housed within the Office of the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management. University officials stated this new program will "serve all academic programs and to best support all current and future students."
Staff members currently working in DEI-related roles will have opportunities to interview for open positions in other university departments, according to the announcement. The university did not specify how many positions would be affected by the closure.
Cultural centers on campus will remain operational but will be repositioned as "open resources for the entire Purdue community, providing support for all students" under the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life.
Wolfe said that the changes align with Purdue's "long-held principle of providing support for all Boilermakers with discrimination against none" and stated the university is "refocus[ing] our efforts on the success of all students in keeping with our land-grant mission and values."
