As the ink dries on yet another executive order from the Oval Office, here in Atlanta, the Trump administration’s policy against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is beginning to influence decisions at Tech. Two weeks ago, a communications officer from the School of Interactive Computing (IC) emailed students, faculty and staff within the school, claiming he had been ordered to delete all content related to DEI. In the aftermath of the leaked email and discovery of removed content from Tech’s websites, there was significant media coverage. Outside of the Technique, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Fox 5 Atlanta and WSB-TV all covered the email.
The campus caught Tech’s administration red-handed, and the resulting blowback is compounded by the mismanagement of the entire situation. As opposed to choosing a path of transparency, the Institute carried out the removal of DEI-related content in secrecy, making the DEI conversation less accessible for the Tech community. Our responsibility as students is to demand truth, transparency and a space to discuss the removal of DEI-related material and programs from Institute administration.
President Ángel Cabrera’s response to faculty and staff came days after the IC email leak and ensuing media coverage. When employees sought assurances about their jobs, academic freedom and DEI programs, they received a diplomaticly-worded email from Cabrera that left much to desire. In the statement, Cabrera briefly acknowledged the concerns of students and faculty before quickly turning towards a legally toned explanation of the current situation. He stated that Tech’s removal of DEI programs in 2023 “position us well for the new regulatory space.” However, he does note that it is unclear how President Donald Trump’s new orders will affect the Institute. One thing that Cabrera does make abundantly clear is that “compliance with federal rules is not optional.”
Cabrera then transitions to assuring us that “our work has never been more important, and the record number of applications and research grants we received last year indicates that the world agrees.”
This quote summarizes so much of what Tech students and faculty are exhausted by: the tendency of Tech administration to placate students and faculty with statistics and rankings without acknowledging the problems that they encounter on a daily basis. This holds true for housing, construction, registration and general wellbeing. To see this pattern emerge yet again — dismissing the severity of the circumstances surrounding the new executive orders’ effects on academic freedom and diversity is concerning. Adding to the disappointment is the fact that we have yet to hear a word from Cabrera or any official in administration directly to students. Time and time again, students are left in the dark. How is it excusable that some students receive an email from Cabrera and other students are left hearing about the President’s statements through their friends? The administration’s failure to communicate has led to confusion and worry among the students.
Cabrera’s commitment to fostering an environment where everyone can belong needs to be strengthened with concrete steps by the Institute to uphold these promises. It’s high time that Tech took a step back and considered its values. This discussion does not just belong in board rooms, law offices or at USG meetings; they belong to the students, faculty and staff that live, learn and work together every day at Tech. DEI programs can either be an opportunity to spearhead change or continue to virtue signal and save face.
There is still an opportunity for Tech to promote inclusivity and engagement that uplifts without using the standard DEI paradigm. It may not be easy, but Tech must find a way to ensure that everyone feels safe, heard and supported on campus. Diversity of thought and experience are crucial to developing an environment where students and researchers can develop the next generation of leaders in technology, engineering and business that Tech prides itself on creating.
Academic freedom is another area where the Institute’s response was lackluster. The Trump administration has issued a wave of executive orders that threaten academic integrity, from freezing federal grants for research discussing DEI topics to censoring manuscripts at the CDC that mention terms including “gender” or “LGBT”. The government has even ordered the National Institutes of Health — our nation’s premier research institution — to slash funding for universities pursuing research that challenges its agenda.
As one of the largest public research institutions in the country, Tech should know better than most what defines good science: empiricism, objectivity and a commitment to truth, free from political interference. To allow a single administration to erode scientific integrity with the stroke of a pen should have prompted an unflinching, principled defense from Tech’s leadership. Instead, we have seen compliance dressed as pragmatism. At what point do we say enough is enough? How much censorship will we accept before we fight back?
The events of the past weeks have made one thing abundantly clear — Tech’s leadership has prioritized optics over transparency and silence over meaningful engagement. The removal of DEI-related content was not just an administrative decision; it was a statement, intentional or not, about what the Institute values most. Tech must decide whether it will include student voices on decisions that affect them, or merely bow to political convenience. That decision is not just in the hands of the administration — it rests with the entire Tech community.