On Monday, UNLV President Chris Heavey announced in a campus-wide email that the school will be reorganizing its diversity initiatives, breaking up what was previously called the Office of Diversity Initiatives and splitting up its duties.

The move — and similar efforts at other Nevada colleges in recent months as the Trump administration cracks down on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts (DEI) — drew sharp criticism from some on social media who said the school was running away from one of its core values. The school has advertised its ranking as one of the five most diverse colleges in the country, and uses the slogan “Different. Daring. Diverse.”

But on campus last week, students who spoke with The Nevada Independent suggested the changes were no cause for alarm.

Rayan Muneer, president of the UNLV Muslim Student Association, said that he thinks that the changes will only be in name. Beyond moving its diversity initiatives, UNLV announced that the school will be consolidating its Division of Student Affairs and that Student Diversity Programs will be renamed Student Connection and Engagement.

“It's done only for the sake of preventing any chance that we do end up on the radar for the Trump administration,” Muneer said in an interview. “All it's doing is adding a little bit more bureaucratic tape.” 

Muneer said that the Office of Diversity Initiatives had provided plenty of support to his association during the Trump and President Joe Biden’s administrations. The office has provided the group with funding as well as offered support during politically charged situations, such as the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s visit to the school last year. The association has about 120 students, hosting community events and teaching safety tips as Islamaphobic attacks rise in the U.S. 

“UNLV is trying to appease and do it the best that it can,” Muneer said.

DEI initiatives — especially in higher education — have become popularized in the past decade as a means of creating a more equitable environment for historically marginalized groups. But under President Donald Trump, they have become a target of the administration and are increasingly described as “discriminatory.” Hundreds of schools have changed their programs since the start of Trump’s term, and the administration has also scrapped millions of dollars for minority scholarships. 

Those reforms have now come to Nevada. In May, Nevada State University (NSU) announced that it was shuttering the school’s diversity office and earlier this year, the College of Southern Nevada renamed their “Office of Diversity” to the “Office of Civic and Cultural Engagement.” UNR – which has reaffirmed its commitment to diversity initiatives – is facing a potential investigation over a program that provides financial and academic support to undocumented students, although it still has an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Many students at UNLV, even if they didn’t personally participate in DEI programs, acknowledged that they provide important resources to the campus community. Several of the students interviewed by The Nevada Independent questioned whether the university’s changes were tangible or a result of the school trying to minimize legal attacks from the Trump administration.

“If we’re moving it to a different office, does that mean we're not going to care about it as much because we don't have our own space?” first-year student Alana Maxine-Ohuche asked. 

Last week, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into UNLV, focusing on the school’s “response to antisemitism on campus.” In March, the administration announced it was investigating UNLV because of its partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business. The investigation is still ongoing, according to UNLV. 

Students at other schools in Nevada have questioned recent changes to DEI programming. Earlier this year, students at NSU launched an Instagram page in response to the shuttering of the school’s diversity office and the cancellation of a first generation college access program called Nepantla.

Even students who don’t recognize the acronym DEI seemed disappointed at the NSU changes. Carlos Miranda, a first-year student, told The Indy he had never heard of DEI programs. Still, he was let down when he heard of Nepantla’s cancellation this year, hoping the program could help acclimate him to campus life.

“It just sounded fun, and I really wanted to do that,” Miranda said. 

But Miranda contends that NSU is one of the most welcoming environments he has been in. He described the campus as lively and as teeming with activities. Whenever he heads out to the main campus, he always spots students playing games or setting up events in the “Scorpion Den” – a student lounge. 

“Everywhere I go, there’s LGBTQ support. There's people of color. I've never been to a school where I felt like I belonged,” Miranda said.