Notre Dame’s Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which has occupied the second floor of LaFortune Student Center since 2022, has been renamed the Sister Thea Bowman Center. The change was not accompanied by a press release.
In a statement to The Observer explaining the name change, University spokesperson Erin Blasko wrote, “Our efforts to build a Notre Dame community where everyone feels a sense of belonging are deeply rooted in our Catholic mission. At the heart of that mission is the recognition that we are all children of God. In naming a unit or initiative for someone, we have an opportunity to honor those who have been inspired by faith and who continue to inspire us to respect one another as children of God. It is an affirmation of who we are and who we are called to be.”
The Sister Thea Bowman Center appears to maintain the same function as the previous Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It will continue to host the University’s Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS), the Gender Relations Center (GRC) and the Office of Student Enrichment (OSE) as well as student groups PrismND and Diversity Council.
An “About” page for the Center makes no mention of its former name. Rather, it states, “In 2022, the Center was established to provide a welcoming environment where students can foster a culture of belonging and engagement at Notre Dame.”
The page goes on to describe the legacy of the Center’s new namesake, who was “a Black Catholic religious sister, teacher, musician, liturgist, and scholar known for her deep faith and steadfast commitment to human connection.” In 1990, Bowman was posthumously awarded the Laetare Medal, a Notre Dame-bestowed honor the University refers to as “the most prestigious award given to American Catholics.” She was the first African American to receive the honor and, in 2018, was named as a Servant of God by the Catholic Church, a step in the process of canonization.
“Her example serves as an inspiration to those who strive to bridge divides and promote belonging and understanding within the Church and in society more broadly … To honor her extraordinary example and witness, we are proud to name the space on the second floor of the LaFortune Student Center the Sister Thea Bowman Center, and trust that it will continue to be a place rooted in hope and unity that inspires trust, reverence and a true sense of belonging among all who enter,” Blasko wrote.
Mentions of diversity, equity or inclusion are now absent from the description of the Center’s mission on the website, which reads, “Notre Dame’s ongoing commitment to student belonging is representative of the community the University strives to cultivate, the educational environment we seek to provide to Notre Dame students, and the moral character we hope students will develop during their time here.”
The Center’s renaming comes as institutions of higher education across the country are tasked with navigating executive orders, investigations and lawsuits from the Trump administration targeted at DEI programs.
Dozens of other colleges and universities have similarly renamed or shuttered their DEI centers in recent months. The Chronicle of Higher Education has tracked these changes at 392 campuses across the country.
The name change comes after the University previously scrubbed mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion from other resources and webpages in February, as The Observer reported at the time.
In April, University President Fr. Robert Dowd and Saint Mary’s College President Katie Conboy both signed a statement released by the American Association of Colleges and Universities which condemned “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” from the Trump administration into higher education.
Then, in May, Notre Dame received a letter from the office of Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita alleging that “Publicly available materials suggest that various aspects of Notre Dame’s operations may be governed by University policies that treat individuals—including students, prospective students, faculty, staff, and job applicants—differently based on the individuals’ race or ethnicity; employ race in a negative manner; or utilize racial stereotyping.”
Rokita’s office requested that the University respond with details regarding their admissions and hiring processes, citing concerns about the legality of the University’s practices under the terms of their nonprofit designation. In the letter, Rokita wrote that his office would consider taking legal action against the University if they found the materials sent demonstrated evidence of noncompliance.
Rokita shared in an interview with WSBT that the University responded to his letter by his deadline of June 9.
Rokita’s office did not respond to a request for additional information by The Observer.
The University declined to answer whether the Attorney General’s inquiry prompted the renaming of the Center.
