Weber State’s LGBTQ+ Center closing amid DEI overhaul

WEBER COUNTY, Utah ( ABC4 ) — Weber State University ’s LGBTQ+ Center — along with the school’s other identity-based centers — are slated to close next month.

This comes as a result of a bill passed earlier this year that mandates Utah’s state-run universities overhaul their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The identity-based centers at Weber State will close on July 1 as the school transitions to an all-encompassing “student success model,” Jessica Oyler, the university’s new vice president for Student Access and Success, told ABC4.

“We will move to a student success model on our campus, where we’re really focused on coaching and providing individualized support for students,” she said.

Passed with overwhelming support by Utah’s Republican-controlled legislature, HB 261 goes into effect next month. The law requires public institutions to replace identity-based DEI programs with Student Success Centers.

At Weber State, the restructuring won’t cost any jobs, Oyler said. However, titles will be reworked to remove any identity-based language.

Still, the northern Utah university plans to host cultural events, such as a celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month and having a presence at Ogden Pride.

Bryan Magaña, the school’s public relations director, emphasized that students will still be able to find connections on campus, such as in the dozens of student clubs formed around shared interests or identity.

The advisors will be able to point students towards these clubs, while also offering coaching and individualized support.

“So students won’t be lacking resources,” Magaña said. “That’s something we definitely want to get across.”

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