McDaniel College replaced its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) with the Office of Student Belonging (OSB) in fall 2025, prompting questions about bias reporting and student impact.
Bias incidents are reported to Richard Smith, Associate Vice President of the OSB and Director of Human Resources, Smith emphasized, “Nothing has changed with the bias reporting.”
The name change comes as a result of President Donald Trump’s executive order in January 2025, banning all federal organizations from having an ODEI. He also discouraged private organizations by terminating federal grants that ensure equal access.
Some students have noticed that people are saying offensive things more often now. Eden Godin states that “I think people have been using the F word a lot more and I think social media has really pushed the use of the C word a lot.” When asked why that is the case, Smith answered “I believe that we’re living in a time where the lines between offensive speech, even hate speech and free speech are blurred.”
When Andraelya Moody the Director of the Office Student Belonging at McDaniel College was asked “How does the name change affect the way this office operates?” Moody answered “So, the way that the office operates, there isn’t much difference, other than the fact that we are working to make sure that all students feel like they belong.”
The Office of Belonging hosts events that showcase different cultures. During Hispanic Heritage Month the OSB showcased a documentary about human trafficking.
Students can find out about OSB events on What’s Up McDaniel, Instagram, OSE, and Campus Groups.
A bias incident is any form of discrimination towards someone because of their differences such as race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, sexuality, and political opinion.
If you would like to report a bias incident, use this link.
