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The cuts, reported during a Virginia Tech Board of Visitors meeting, come as the institution continues scrutinizing its programs to comply with the Trump administration's efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives from American colleges and universities.
Among the changes drawing student concern is the planned 2026 closure of Ujima, a living learning community with an Africana studies focus that serves approximately 182 students, and Lavender House, an LGBTQ+ studies-focused LLC with about 35 participants. Two additional LLCs—Orion, a sciences program, and Rhizome, focused on local approaches to global challenges—will also close, affecting roughly 500 students total.
"We're just being targeted now more than ever," said Lyonel "Zee" Myrthil, a senior studying entrepreneurship, innovation and technology who participated in Ujima during his freshman year. "It's just another attempt to erase Black history on this campus. And we're honestly disrespected in terms of our history because it's just seen as DEI, like our history doesn't matter to them."
Approximately 50 students marched to the university's administration building in Blacksburg on Monday, carrying signs reading "Defend DEI." The march was organized by six student groups, though the board meeting took place at Tech's Alexandria campus.
Myrthil, co-founder of Black Mindedness and the Black Coalition, criticized the breadth of the cuts and the university's transparency during the review process. "Anything related to culture, identity or community becomes a target," he said.
The $8.4 million reallocation represents funds from programs deemed noncompliant with federal guidance, while an additional $4.6 million in related expenditures has been either "deemed allowable" or modified for compliance. More than $3.8 million of the reallocated funds came from closing the university's Office of Inclusive Strategy and Excellence, while another $2.7 million came from faculty diversity programs that partially funded salaries for some faculty members from underrepresented groups.
