Editors note: This story has been updated include the letter in full.

Eighteen former Oregon State University student leaders objected to the university’s elimination of two diversity, equity and inclusion programs in a letter sent Monday.

The letter was addressed to OSU President Jayathi Murthy and Board of Trustees Chairman Roman Hernández. 

The letter states that, as Oregon’s land grant institution, OSU has a “particular responsibility for addressing systemic inequities and fostering an environment in which all members – especially those from historically marginalized communities – feel seen, supported, and valued.”

According to the letter, the former student leaders believe the discontinuation of these programs not only undermines OSU’s stated commitment to equity and inclusion, but it also sends a glaring message to current and prospective students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented backgrounds.

“OSU is willing to forgo meaningful, institutionalized support for equity in favor of expedience or political convenience,” the letter stated.

The discontinuation of the Search Advocacy Program and the Social Justice Education Initiative was announced on July 15. These program closures came in the wake of a trend that can be seen by many colleges who have pulled back on DEI practices after the Trump administration pushed to cut federal funding for schools with DEI programs.  

“This is especially troubling in a broader national context in which DEI programs are increasingly under attack – not for lack of merit, but because of a concerted backlash against the very values they represent,” the letter stated.

The letter urges Murthy, Hernández and other members of the OSU administration to reconsider their decisions to end these programs and to “uphold the values that have long guided the institution’s public commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

The full letter is embedded below.