Harvard College is closing its offices for minority students, women, and LGBTQ students, and incorporating their staff into a newly established Office of Culture and Community, according to an email sent Wednesday by the school’s dean.
Under the College’s Dean of Students Office and within the Office of Culture and Community, the Harvard Foundation will be launched, the email said.
“The new office will be a reimagined Harvard Foundation that fulfills our commitment to support all students,” said the email signed by David J. Deming, dean of Harvard College, and Thomas Dunne, dean of students.
According to a web page for the new office, “the role of the DSO in ensuring that students feel welcome and engaged in meaningful ways is as important as ever. We look forward to broadening this mission-critical work with renewed energy.”
The campus changes began in April when Harvard renamed its main DEI office to “Community and Campus Life,” and made similar moves at Harvard Medical School and its Graduate School of Education.
Last month, in the face of broad threats from the White House, Harvard University announced the launch of the new Office of Culture and Community, and quietly dismantled websites for offices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
The announcement came the same day that the Trump administration urged a New England education commission to revoke Harvard’s accreditation, which would stop the flow of federal financial aid to Harvard students.
The changes to campus community offices also came barely a week after Deming, an economist, started as the new dean of Harvard College on July 1. Deming’s role oversees the new office, as well as virtually all of undergraduate student life on campus.
On July 9, Harvard College took down websites for its Women’s Center, Office for BGLTQ Student Life, and Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.
Wednesday’s email said staff from the three centers “will be incorporated into the Harvard Foundation where they will provide services supporting the entire College community.”
Associate Dean of Students for Culture and Community Alta Mauro will lead the effort, the email said. Mauro’s previous title was associate dean of students for inclusion & belonging.
According to Mauro’s Harvard profile page, she oversees the equity, diversity, and inclusion portfolio within the Dean of Students Office.
“In this capacity, she works with a community of experts to embed the principles of diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the co-curricular and residential experience of all Harvard College students,“ the profile said.
”She guides strategy and crafts vision with an understanding of today’s student and what the future may require of them,“ the profile continued. ”This means being attuned and responsive to the changing demographics and needs of the Harvard College student body.”
The new office also will offer services to support low-income and first-generation students, as well as religion, ethics, and spirituality work, and military and veterans programs, the email said.
“Exposure to and learning from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences leads to intellectual and personal growth, and the betterment of the University,” according to a university commitment statement posted on the new office’s web site.
“We encourage the best to learn alongside one another, as they learn from one another,” the statement said. “Everyone benefits when all are welcomed, supported, and included.”
Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.
