The University of Maryland, College Park, has renamed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion to Belonging & Community at UMD, according to a statement posted to its website.
Per the statement, the office’s new name reflects feedback from the campus’ spring 2024 Belonging and Community Survey, which aimed to gauge “experiences and perceptions of … students, faculty and staff.”
A university spokesperson confirmed that the change took effect Thursday.
The change comes as other prominent Maryland universities — including the University of Maryland, Baltimore — are facing cuts in federal funding for grants promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
Despite the name change, the office’s general operations will remain mostly the same, overseeing units including the university’s Bias Incident Support Services, LGBTQ+ Equity Center, Nyumburu Cultural Center, Office of the ADA Coordinator, Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education and TerrapinSTRONG Education.
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