SMU is one of 131 public and private universities affected by President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
In an executive order released on Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump vowed to put an end to DEI programs across the nation, specifically those at colleges that receive over $1 billion in endowments. Of the 131 colleges targeted by this order, 74 have law schools. SMU finds itself on the list of universities impacted by the executive order with about $2 billion in endowments.
The executive order, titled ‘Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,’ explicitly states the goal of dismantling all DEI programs, in turn making the programs illegal.
The order states that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Attorney General,“…Shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandate, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.”
In a statement to the SMU community, President Gerald R. Turner addressed the series of executive actions and encouraged students, faculty and staff to focus on forging forward together.
“We are in a fluid situation and are still learning its full scope and impact,” President Turner said in an email sent on Jan. 29. “Please be patient as we evaluate unfolding actions to determine what they might mean for our university.”
Diversity initiatives at higher education institutes were under fire long before Trump’s second term began. In 2023, the United States Supreme Court struck down affirmative action and Texas State Senate Bill 17 went into effect last year, banning DEI initiatives at public universities in Texas.
Even though SMU is a private campus, a survey conducted by the Texas Faculty Association in 2023 showed concerns that the political climate at private institutions mirrored those at public universities.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, links to SMU website pages related to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) led to broken links or a message reading, “Oops! That page does not seem to exist.”
Some SMU diversity staff say they were surprised when their titles changed to include the words “cultural intelligence.”
Over the weekend of February 1, the SMU website was updated to reflect the name change to Office of Cultural Intelligence.
The name change was not formally announced to the student body.
Citali Arredondo, an SMU senior and member of the Hilltop League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), did not know of the name change until The Daily Campus contacted the student organization.
“I think the lack of transparency is what I have a major issue with more so than just the semantics of a different title,” Arredondo said. “If I’m someone who needs a DEI resource and I wasn’t aware of the name change, I’m not going to think to look at a cultural intelligence center.”
Marc Arista, a member of Hilltop LULAC and Sexuality and Gender Equity (SAGE) at SMU, learned about the name change from Jennifer Jones, Ph.D., the director of the office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement (SCIE). Arista is unsure how to feel about the lack of transparency.
“I think by them doing cultural intelligence, it aligns more so with the university and what we are doing here, and keeping them safe from things that may be targeted by the greater community,” Arista said.
In a statement to The Daily Campus, Chief Cultural Intelligence Officer Maria Dixon Hall said that her office has been working on the transition back to Cultural Intelligence (CIQ) for over a year. IQ in this case does not stand for intelligence quotient, according to Jamie O’Brien, administrative assistant of the Office of Cultural Intelligence.
“CIQ is for cultural intelligence. IQ normally standing [sic] for intelligence quotient but in this instance it is short for just intelligence,” O’Brien wrote in an email to The Daily Campus.
The original framework of the office, adopted by the university in 2017, was centered around the title of cultural intelligence. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion was created in August 2020 after the SMU Black Unity Forum joined to create an action plan for the university following the death of George Floyd in May of that year. Dr. Dixon Hall was appointed as the Chief Diversity Officer.
“CIQ moves beyond traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and is the ability to learn and understand different perspectives, strengthening relationships while fostering mutual respect and community,” Dixon Hall wrote in a statement to The Daily Campus. “At SMU, we believe cultural intelligence is crucial for success in today’s interconnected world. Instead of relying on the outdated model of traditional DEI, we are equipping them with the skills necessary to effectively communicate, lead, teach, coach, and innovate in today’s complex cultural landscape.”
The office delayed the transition back to CIQ after Texas Senate Bill 17 went into effect in January 2024, which required public Texas universities to close their DEI offices, ban DEI activities and change their hiring practices.
Faith Bombito, the director of DEI for Student Senate, doesn’t see the name change of the university office affecting the name of her position. The position was created in 2024 but a similar position existed under a different name prior. Bombito felt that the name change was inconsequential.
“I think it’s one that’s vital to the chamber and as well as our connection with groups outside of it,” Bombito said. “Similar concept, different name. So I think it’s here to stay.”
