UNLV has made notable changes to its website by removing pages related to diverse student resources. According to FOX5 Vegas, the pages for the 'Student Diversity Program' and the 'Undocumented Student Program' are no longer accessible. While the links to these programs now lead nowhere with messages indicating the content has moved or doesn't exist, the university claims that the programs are still operational.
In response to the removals, officials from UNLV have assured that the changes are part of a restructure aimed to support faculty and students better. "Over the summer,UNLV began an effort to restructure our work to support faculty and students, which included updating the website to reflect these changes," UNLV explained in a statement obtained by FOX5. They emphasized that, "These programs have not ended though in some cases the organizational structures supporting them are being modified."
The erasure has drawn attention amidst ongoing federal scrutiny. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that UNLV's website previously highlighted the Office of Student Diversity Programs as facilitating educational empowerment and support with an intersectional approach. The Undocumented Student Program was described as providing aid to undocumented students and their families, as per Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The timing of these website changes coincides with a broader crackdown on diversity initiatives. This context is important as UNLV faces a Department of Justice investigation into whether the university denied equal treatment to individuals based on race, national origin, or religion. The DOJ inquiry specifically addresses the university's response to allegations of antisemitism, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, incidents in Israel, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
This investigation is not isolated, as the Department of Education has placed UNLV on a list of 45 universities under federal investigation for supposedly employing racial preferences and stereotypes. Notably, the University of Nevada, Reno is also under investigation for the UndocuPack program's use of funds, which President Brian Sandoval clarified is not supported by federal tax dollars, as reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal.
