COLORADO SPRINGS — The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) has dropped its Diversity and Inclusion Studies minor from its website after President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week prohibiting the Department of Defense from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
USAFA officials could not confirm or deny whether the minor is no longer offered to cadets. The Diversity and Inclusion Studies minor was previously listed on the academy's website along with 19 other minors according to an archived version of the site.
Anthony Mayne, a USAFA spokesperson, sent News5 the following statement about the future of DEI courses at USAFA:
The Department of Defense will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency, and in alignment with national security objectives. We will provide status updates as we are able.
President Trump signed an executive order on Monday abolishing DEI offices within the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. The order also prohibits military educational institutions from promoting DEI theories.
According to the archived USAFA website showing the academy's areas of study, the Diversity and Inclusion Studies minor required a minimum of five classes or 15 credit hours. The individual courses offered to fulfill the minor included various history, English, behavioral science, philosophy, geography, and political science classes focusing on gender, sexuality, race, and diversity. Cadets could also fulfill the program requirements by taking courses centered on philosophy of law, comparative religion, labor economics, world cultural geography, genocide and mass atrocity, international security, and the Holocaust.
The archived website said the minor program was designed to "prepare cadets to lead inclusively within a diverse organization, act responsibly in a diverse society, and meet cross-cultural challenges in a diverse world; and develop respect for human dignity across a wide range of cultures and societies enabling the effective and ethical execution of military operations."
News5 asked USAFA officials what will happen to class schedules for cadets working to earn a minor in Diversity and Inclusion Studies. At the time of publishing this story, USAFA has not responded.
News5 reached out to several local universities to ask if they plan to get rid of any DEI-related degrees or courses. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs said "No academic programs have changed at UCCS."
Emily Chan, Dean of Faculty at Colorado College, said "We do not have any plans to make curriculum changes right now."
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