<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3rwgjq_1H2mvA5p00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3rwgjq_1H2mvA5p00" width="857" height="1200" ><figcaption>Multiple offices under the Division of Inclusion have been moved to either the Academic, Student Life or Administration divisions. (Graphic by Clara Witmer ’27)</figcaption></figure>Driven by a public pledge to cultivate inclusivity on campus, Lafayette College unified its diversity, equity and inclusion departments under a newly established Division of Inclusion in 2024. Two years later, the college moved most of those offices out of the division, reducing its once 10-member staff to four employees.Previously centralized under the Division of Inclusion, the offices of Religious and Spiritual Life; Institutional Equity and Title IX; Gender and Sexuality Programs and International Students Advising were reassigned to other divisions. The reorganization occurred ahead of the fall semester’s start, according to an email sent Aug. 21 by college President Nicole Hurd to Lafayette faculty and staff. The college did not notify students about the changes.“I saw a chance to not only have a Division of Inclusion, but to resource other offices and leaders on this campus to do inclusion work,” she said. Hurd said the restructuring changes resulted from implementing feedback from the college’s strategic plan working groups, claiming the changes would “maximize the impact” of inclusion work across campus and cited a new focus on prioritizing wellness initiatives as another reason for the reorganization.“We get to learn and pivot all the time,” Hurd said. “If something historically is in one space, and we decide, ‘Hey, let’s move it to another space,’ those are the kinds of changes I like to see us make as a community.”The Division of Inclusion shifted to focus on three key areas this academic year, according to Hurd’s email to faculty and staff: addressing “career opportunity gaps” in the student body, engaging alumni in inclusion efforts and strengthening partnerships with Lehigh Valley and national organizations. Vice President of Inclusion Ernest Jeffries, who arrived at Lafayette in 2023, has led the Division of Inclusion since its establishment. Jeffries would not comment on whether he was involved in the decision to reorganize the division, deferring comment to Hurd.The only employees remaining in Jeffries’ division are Executive Director of Intercultural Development Kimberly Weatherly, Associate Director of Intercultural Development Heidi Bustos-Clay and an office coordinator.Jeffries also led a DEI committee for faculty and staff until last spring, when Hurd expunged the committee; several faculty members on the committee noted that they were not consulted in the decision. A new provost-led DEI committee was established in its place.Gender and Sexuality Programs and International Students Advising, which previously operated out of the Office of Intercultural Development under the Division of Inclusion, now report to the Student Life Division. Institutional Equity and Title IX moved to the Administration Division, while Religious and Spiritual Life relocated to the Academic Division. College chaplain Alex Hendrickson, who directs the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, said she was notified of the changes in a Zoom meeting over the summer. She declined to comment on who attended the meeting and whether she had input into the decision to move the office to the Academic Division.“One of the reasons when there was the move to Inclusion, that at the time I think made sense, was we do a lot of work with faculty and staff where we are available to provide spiritual support to anyone in the Lafayette community,” Hendrickson said.Hendrickson added “it’s too soon” to say whether the move to the Academic Division will bring about any significant changes, but noted that the restructuring could increase Religious and Spiritual Life’s collaboration with faculty in the classroom.“I feel like this is going to be positive in the long run,” she said.Multiple other staff members relocated from the Division of Inclusion did not respond to requests for comment or deferred comment to Hurd or Jeffries.Student Government President Allie Waxman ‘28 and Inclusivity Officer Evalina Ibrahim ‘29 told The Lafayette they were unfamiliar with the division’s restructuring changes.“I would like more transparency, and a good, solid explanation from the administration as to what went into this decision, and also why the students, again, who it affects, had no input,” said Hazel Marlin ‘27, the president of student organization Questioning Established Sexual Taboos, which is advised by Gender and Sexuality Programs.Separate from changes to the Division of Inclusion, the Gateway Career Center also moved from the Division of Student Life to the Academic Division over the summer. In September, the college announced that Fraternity and Sorority Life moved from the Office of Student Involvement to the Office of Residence Life.</div></body>

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Driven by a public pledge to cultivate inclusivity on campus, Lafayette College unified its diversity, equity and inclusion departments under a newly established Division of Inclusion in 2024. Two years later, the college moved most of those offices out of the division, reducing its once 10-member staff to four employees.

Lafayette College shrinks Inclusion division, offices relocated

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Driven by a public pledge to cultivate inclusivity on campus, Lafayette College unified its diversity, equity and inclusion departments under a newly estab

Lafayette College shrinks Inclusion division, offices relocated

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