MIT closes DEI office amid Trump’s dispute with Harvard and other schools

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology closed its DEI office last week, following an 18-month assessment of the department’s work. 

The school confirmed that it closed its Institute Community and Equity Office, known as the ICEO, which described its mission online as “stewarding MIT’s values and their interconnections.” MIT will also eliminate the role of the vice president for equity and inclusion, who led the department, according to a university spokesperson.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth made the announcement last Thursday, following an 18-month “comprehensive assessment” of the ICEO’s work, an MIT spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News.

While President Trump has taken aim at DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — in government, business and academia, MIT’s review began before his return to office. In January 2024, Kornbluth asked staff to advise her “where we’re succeeding in supporting our community and where we’re falling short.”

“MIT is in the talent business,” Kornbluth said in a notice to the MIT community. “Our success depends on attracting exceptionally talented people of every background, 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 closure comes amid a battle between the Trump administration and nearby Harvard University, which intensified this week as the White House took new steps to screen and restrict international students who wish to study in the U.S.

The Trump administration has frozen over $3 billion in research grants and contracts to Harvard.

The White House has accused Harvard of discriminatory hiring practices and not doing enough to address antisemitism on campus. It has also leveled similar accusations at Columbia University and frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research grants and other funding to the school. Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the funding freeze.

President Trump has also called for K-12 public schools to eliminate DEI initiatives across local school systems. In April, 19 states sued the Trump administration, alleging that it is unlawful to  withhold federal funding from public schools for not complying with his mandate.

CBS News’ Jared Hill and The Associated Press contributed reporting.