Utah Valley University announced the immediate closure of its Center for Intercultural Engagement (CIE) on Friday, April 11. The CIE, a department designed to support students through community, networking, and cultural understanding, has officially been dissolved—according to the university, as a result of recent legislative action in Utah.
An email sent to students and staff at 4:17 p.m. from UVU’s Division of Student Affairs stated that the CIE would be dissolved effective immediately. “Although the team members in CIE are no longer at UVU, we are very grateful for the positive impacts they made upon UVU and most importantly on our students,” the message read. While the CIE offices will officially close, the physical student spaces will remain open through the end of the spring semester, with other staff members available to provide support.
The CIE previously encompassed three branches: the Women’s Intercultural Engagement Center, the LGBTQ+ Intercultural Engagement Center, and the Multicultural Intercultural Engagement Center. These programs were created after existing student support centers—including the Women’s Success Center, LGBTQ+ Student Success Center and Multicultural Student Services—were consolidated in 2024 in response to the passage of HB 261.
House Bill 261, passed by the Utah Legislature in 2024, prohibits DEI offices, mandatory identity-based trainings, and institutional messaging related to race, gender, and other identity characteristics. It also restricts the use of “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” in program titles and bans identity-based hiring or admission preferences. In response, many Utah institutions—including UVU—restructured their DEI-related programs into broader student engagement initiatives.
In Friday’s message, Dr. Michelle Kearns, vice president of Student Affairs, encouraged students to explore available resources, including the Student Success Center. She shared that the Student Affairs team will spend the summer developing new, meaningful ways for the Office of Student Engagement to help students get involved, build connections, and find their place at UVU in the fall.
As of 4:25pm, in response to the closure, members of Spectrum UVU, a student group supporting LGBTQ+ students, announced a sit-in protest at their campus lounge. The sit-in began shortly after the university’s announcement and is ongoing as of publication.
The UVU Review has reached out to representatives from the Women’s and Multicultural Intercultural Engagement programs and will provide updates as new information becomes available.
Students seeking support related to the closure can contact the Dean of Students office at deanofstudents@uvu.edu.
Editor’s Note (April 11, 2025): This article was temporarily removed after its initial publication to address concerns about tone and objectivity. It has since been revised to meet The Review’s editorial standards for fair and accurate reporting.
