The University of Michigan announced Thursday it would be closing its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program.

The massive DEI bureaucracy is the largest and most expensive in the nation, totaling over $250 million since 2016. announcement Plans to “evolve” that approach include closing the DEI office, closing the strategic plan, and reviewing “All policies, programs, and practices.”

“Oday’s Student Services [Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] A UM spokesman did not clarify whether DEI staff would only be relocating to other departments.

“Since the launch of the DEI Strategic Plan in 2016, we have made significant progress in opening up opportunities and helping all students succeed,” the announcement states. “In the course of our strategic efforts, we have heard strong pride in supporting our university’s student programs, and we have also heard concerns about the balance of resources between management and direct student support. Some of our campus communities have expressed their dissatisfaction that programming has been shortened by promoting connections between diverse groups.”

“The University of Michigan is making significant changes to its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program,” UM’s Director of Public Relations Kay Jarvis told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “In today’s message to the Ann Arbor Campus and Michigan Medicine, the university announced that it will redistribute funds towards student initiatives that directly strengthen administrative functions and student success and promote a sense of belonging among all members of the community.

UM said it will expand financial aid, strengthen mental health support and improve counseling and advice services. He also said that it will “continue to maintain its multicultural space and support cultural and ethnic events that will enrich campus and foster a vibrant and inclusive environment” to “enhance the campus and develop a vibrant and inclusive environment.”

The decision comes from President Donald Trump’s recent crackdown on DEI efforts, teams and directives at the federal level, and reductions in DEI grants. Trump’s day one executive order called for “to dismantle radical and futile government DEI programs and preferences across all federal agencies.

A university committee in November reportedly asked “President Santa Ono” about the DEI president at the university since the program began, after reporting on program failures, including students and faculty reporting worsening climates on campus, and that he was unlikely to interact with people of another race, religion or political sympathy. Furthermore, attempts to create more diverse campuses have flattened, with black enrollment at universities remaining at a stable 5%.

The program also reportedly created a “culture of complaints,” and the office concept coincides with a “explosion” of complaints on campus, including race, gender and religion. Meanwhile, nearly 250 university employees were engaged in some form of DEI effort on campus. (Related: “Racist” Protest: Meeting Michigan Day Staff tried to disappear from the Internet)

By December, UM announced it had abandoned its diversity statement for employment, promotion and tenure decisions after clear promotions from faculty, saying the statement “may limit freedom of expression and diversity of thinking on campus.”

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan newswire service that is free to use for legitimate news publishers that can provide large audiences. All republished articles must include logos, reporter signatures and DCNF affiliation. For questions regarding our guidelines or partnerships with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.