The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is shutting down its central diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office after an internal review that began nearly 18 months ago. President Sally Kornbluth announced the change last week, confirming that the Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) will be phased out.
“Our success depends on attracting exceptionally talented people of every background,” Kornbluth said, “from across the country and around the world, and making sure everyone at MIT feels welcome and supported, so they can do their best work and thrive.” The memo emphasized that MIT will continue supporting core programs related to inclusion, even as it winds down the ICEO.
As part of the restructuring, MIT will also eliminate the role of vice president for equity and inclusion.
The ICEO described its mission as fostering community through “care, education, restorative practices, and programming that embraces… diversity in all its forms.” However, critics have long questioned the value and cost of large-scale DEI bureaucracies at elite institutions.
Earlier this month, MIT became the first top-tier university to end mandatory diversity statements in hiring and admissions—a move praised by free speech advocates as a step toward viewpoint neutrality in academia.
A university spokesperson denied any correlation between MIT’s decision and recent tensions between the Trump administration and nearby Harvard University, which has faced scrutiny over race-based admissions and foreign student enrollment.