More than 400 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices at universities across the country have shuttered their doors, changed their names, or quietly disappeared. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is no exception — but through the Office of Campus Enrichment, the goals of DEI live on.
DEI efforts have been threatened by executive orders from the Trump Administration, the Supreme Court ruling ending affirmative action, and recent state laws. Since 2023, 136 bills in 30 states and the U.S. Congress have been introduced that would limit or prohibit academic institutions and any organization that receives federal funding from having DEI offices, forbid the use of diversity statements, ban diversity training, and prohibit race, sex, ethnicity, or nationality from being considered as part of the admissions or hiring processes. Twenty-nine bills across 22 different states have become law.
Though Illinois has yet to have one of these bills proposed, Illinois colleges and universities are feeling the effects. For example, Northwestern University changed over a dozen job titles to remove references to DEI, and the University of Chicago was one of the 50 American higher education institutions under investigation by the Trump administration.
In an email from Aug. 18, 2025, to the SAIC community, with the subject line “We’re Crafting Our Way Forward,” it was announced that SAIC’s DEI Office has officially been renamed to the Office of Campus Enrichment, following a yearlong visioning and action planning process that engaged the SAIC community.
Despite the name change, there is still a great deal of continuity between the former DEI office and the new Office of Campus Enrichment.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s a pivot or a change. It’s building upon the rich history that came before me and ensuring this work is integrated everywhere,” said Sekile M. Nzinga, the former vice president of the DEI office and current vice president of the Office of Campus Enrichment. Nzinga was hired in 2023 to integrate and provide direction to the work of the Multicultural Affairs office. She turned the Student Affairs office and the DEI work being done by faculty in Academic Affairs into what became the school-wide DEI office.
Along with Nzinga, the Office of Campus Enrichment is composed of the director of faculty and staff engagement and enrichment, Vaness Cox; and the director of student engagement and enrichment, Karl Constant; two graduate assistants; two student workers who work in the Cultural Oasis; and eight peer educators.
“It has been a pleasure to work with a team that brings a level of professionalism and conviviality to their work environment that signals safety, care, belonging and inherent joy, ” said Graduate Assistant Tikkun Bambara (MFAW 2026).
Diversity initiatives have existed at SAIC since 2009. The first of these initiatives resulted in a 26-point Diversity Action Plan. By 2013, this plan was being implemented, a diversity advisory committee was formed, and conversations around diversity expanded in and outside the classroom. In the summer of 2020, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, SAIC launched new initiatives, including forming an Anti-Racism Committee, appointing the director of DEI for academic affairs to the president’s cabinet, and increasing scholarship opportunities for graduates from Chicago’s public high schools.
Both in her conversation with F Newsmagazine and in the initial Aug. 18 email announcing the new office, Nzinga stressed the importance of three interconnected threads of work: education and development, connection and belonging, and integrative partnerships and resource provision.
“What I really want to be able to do is enrich folks’ experiences here, whether they were student experiences or experiences as employees, or even experiences for the parents and families, so that inclusive practices are seamlessly part of the school’s operations. I am eager to keep advancing the work in partnership with our campus community,” said Nzinga.
Along with these three threads, Nzinga is prioritizing making sure the Office of Campus Enrichment is visible, viable, and impactful.
Student retention is one area that the Office of Campus Enrichment is focusing on this year. The “You Are SAIC” year-long pilot program was formed as an intergenerational approach to belonging. Seventy-one incoming freshman or first-year transfer students applied to be part of the pilot program, and 20 were accepted. The program’s goal is to work directly with students and their families most in need of navigational support to form connections with the school and the Chicago community.
First-year students in the program were paired with one of eight peer advisors, and came to campus two days early to attend community-building workshops and take opportunities to explore the city.
“Not every parent went to college, and even those parents who have attended college learn that going to an art and design school is very unique and different. We want them to have a little snapshot of what their students are experiencing,” said Nzinga. She also talked about making sure students have autonomy in how much their families are involved.
In a presentation from the Office of Student Affairs, students participating in the “You are SAIC” anonymously shared their feelings about the program. One student who applied to the program said participating in it will help them feel more confident and comfortable in their transition to college: “Moving to a completely new environment can be overwhelming. I’m hoping these extra days will help me build friendships, learn more about the campus, and get a sense of the SAIC community’s vibe.”
The Office of Campus Enrichment also launched a one-day faculty institute called “Cultivating Inclusive Teaching and Learning Communities” to ensure faculty have resources in this area.
The office partnered with SAIC ombudsperson Patric Spence to run Community Agreement Workshops across the school. It has integrated with student clubs, the Visiting Artist Program, CAPX, and academic and administrative departments. Their website also provides information on inclusive resources, land acknowledgements, student affinity groups, the Heritage Awareness Programs and Initiatives Committee, and grant opportunities. It also took over the school-wide shared reading initiative, which, this year, is “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
In a time where higher education institutions — even ones as large as Harvard or Cornell — are being forced to pivot away from diversity initiatives, SAIC remains committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment.
“Our office, like any office on this campus or any campus, is navigating a new world. We are all experiencing higher ed with a different lens,” said Nzinga.
