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UA took down the websites for its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Cultural and Resource Centers last week, and also deleted the phrase 鈥渃ommitted to diversity and inclusion鈥� from its widely used 鈥渓and acknowledgment鈥� statement, which has been displayed on the university鈥檚 websites, email signatures and elsewhere since 2021.

The removals came after the U.S. Department of Education told colleges and universities to stop race-conscious and DEIA-based programs and activities within two weeks or face the loss of federal funding.

鈥淲e, the undersigned faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members, call on you to reinstate the diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) language and resources that have been removed from the University of 蜜柚直播, including but not limited to the removal of the University of 蜜柚直播 Office of Diversity and Inclusion website, and the deletion of 鈥楥ommitted to diversity and inclusion鈥� from the Land Acknowledgement,鈥� says the petition, turned in to Garimella Tuesday afternoon.

鈥淭hese commitments to DEIA were co-developed with the community, and, as such, any revision should include community discussion. We are also deeply concerned about alleged plans to dismantle the University鈥檚 cultural resource centers,鈥� it says.

The petition, drafted by a group of faculty, was also sent to UA Interim Provost Ronald Marx and the UA president鈥檚 cabinet.

The DEIA petition, which is still open for signatures, was sent with 1,951 signatures, including those of 778 students, 375 alumni, 253 staff members, 227 faculty members and 208 community members, according to organizers. The signatures, gathered in about three days since the effort was launched Saturday, included 441 anonymous ones, they said. The copy they sent to media did not include the signatures.聽聽

UA鈥檚 spokesperson, Mitch Zak, said late Tuesday afternoon,聽鈥淲e have just received the letter and will review it, as we do all input. We will continue to keep the university community informed on these matters as appropriate.鈥�

Last week, Zak said: 鈥淲e are taking a measured approach toward ensuring compliance with new policies and procedures that will impact higher education institutions in the coming weeks and months. As a public institution, we will continue to adhere to all applicable laws at the local, state, and federal levels. We will continue to uphold our university commitment to fostering a campus environment where everyone can thrive as we advance our academic, research, and service missions.鈥�

Garimella announced a week ago that the UA would undertake an inventory of its DEIA-related programs, after President Donald Trump said in an executive order Jan. 20 that DEI programs are 鈥渋llegal and immoral discrimination.鈥�

The 蜜柚直播 Board of Regents, which oversees the state鈥檚 three public universities including UA, had not received the petition as of Tuesday afternoon, a spokeswoman said.

Vanessa Perry, an associate professor of practice in the UA鈥檚 College of Education, said, 鈥淎s an institution, we have a right to implement DEIA initiatives. The lawfulness of President Trump鈥檚 anti-DEIA order is currently being challenged (in court). Now, more than ever, we need university leaders to stand firmly in our values. DEIA is who we are as a community.鈥�

Perry acknowledged the situation is rapidly evolving, but added, 鈥淲e stand with our leaders if they will stand with us. If not, we will organize, protest, and strategize, just as we have always done,鈥� she said.

The 鈥淲ildcats4DEIA鈥� coalition started out as a group of faculty members having conversations and organizing after Trump鈥檚 executive order, said Perry. The coalition was alarmed when the UA took its diversity and inclusion and Cultural Resource Centers websites down, and decided it was time for action.

Nolan Cabrera, a UA professor of education policy studies and practice, said there should never have been a need for a petition in the first place.

鈥淭he other 蜜柚直播 institutions have not taken such drastic steps,鈥� said Cabrera. 鈥淏ending the knee to the Trump administration will not make these attacks go away.鈥�

UA Chair of the Faculty Leila Hudson said the petition鈥檚 robust support shows that 鈥渢he aggressive, ideologically driven and sloppy approach taken by partisans testing their powers threatens our deeply held core values including our constitutional and academic freedoms.鈥�

Perry said coalition members hope to be invited to be collaborative partners with UA administrators to discuss how to maintain DEIA and the cultural and resource centers on campus. She said they also hope the petition will slow down the university鈥檚 actions since so far, the decisions are being made behind closed doors and the university community doesn鈥檛 always know what is happening or what will happen next.

The petition said the UA鈥檚 actions were also a response to 蜜柚直播 State Senate President Warren Petersen, who sent out a letter to the presidents of UA, 蜜柚直播 State University and Northern 蜜柚直播 University Feb. 10 asking them to cease programs with activities related to: 鈥減romoting diversity;鈥� 鈥渢aking 鈥榓ffirmative action;鈥欌�� and, allowing or encouraging federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in workforce balancing based on race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin.

The DEI coalition is also joining forces with the Cultural Resource Centers Coalition, which is comprised of students and staff from the centers, Perry said.

鈥淯A is a place that makes sure underrepresented and marginalized groups are uplifted. We dismantle barriers. We are change makers and innovators,鈥� said Perry. 鈥淚f we remove DEIA and gut our initiatives, especially the cultural resource centers, what does that say about who we are?鈥�