President Donald Trump has made it clear if universities do not dismantle all DEI initiatives, they risk losing federal funding.

Amid the pushback on these programs, DEI mentions have also started to disappear from USF’s websites, including DEI-related news articles, documents and internal audits.

Related: USF is deleting webpages with DEI content

Erasing DEI content could impact student success and present new challenges for underrepresented students to find the resources they need.

USF’s websites are regularly updated and reviewed to comply with state and federal guidance, said Ryan Hughes, a USF spokesperson. 

“This is an ongoing process that will continue as the university monitors the latest state and federal updates,” Hughes said.

Related: Student activism at USF matters. Here’s why

Of course, USF and other colleges are going to appease Trump by removing DEI-related content. It’s likely no university wants to be caught in the crossfire of Trump’s temper tantrums or risk losing federal funding.

David Ponton, chair of the Racial Justice Initiative at USF, said inclusivity matters because of its impact on student success. Ponton is also the undergraduate director for the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies.

“If the message students are receiving through institutional acts of censorship is that their experiences and feelings are invalid and illegal to recognize, it may very well diminish their sense of belonging” Ponton said.

Ponton said research shows how important a sense of belonging is for student retention, course success, graduation rates and positive mental health.

At colleges across the U.S., the same thing is happening.

Columbia University, Florida State University and University of Southern California are also deleting DEI mentions from their school webpages.

Banned DEI words at USF have not been identified. But at FSU, some of the banned keywords are as ridiculous as “bias, advocacy, ethnicity” and my personal favorites… “woman” and “women,” according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Related: DEI’s future at USF: The question on everyone’s mind

USF used to have its dedication to DEI in writing. Now, there’s hardly any evidence of it.

For example, a USF newsroom article from 2022 titled “USF earns national award for excellence and inclusion” has been removed. The webpage displays an “error” message.

“A failure to be inclusive is a betrayal of student success, and if the goal is truly equal opportunity for students, equality first requires equity,” Ponton said. “Equity is just another word for what is just, right and fair.” 

Students deserve to feel welcome and heard in schools. A sense of belonging can allow students to not just get by, but thrive.

Ponton said these changes to the USF website could impact how students are able to access resources or support.

“Websites provide information for how to access resources,” Ponton said. “In diverse populations, the types of resources needed are different and sometimes very particular.”

Universities are being pressured to choose between federal funding or being openly committed to DEI. But they shouldn’t have to take their pick between the two. 

It’s unfair that colleges are stuck in the middle of this “anti-wokeism” debate.