Florida Atlantic University proudly marks itself as one of the most diverse public universities in the state. Yet, officials renamed the 15-year-old Diversity Way walkway – once a symbol of that pride – to Opportunity Way.

At the FAU Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, the board approved the new name for the walkway between Dade Avenue and Parking Garage 2 on the Boca Raton campus. The BOT originally named this walkway in 2010 to promote diversity and school spirit. Now, President Adam Hasner sees the new name not as a move away from those values, but as a reflection of FAU’s new identity as an “Opportunity University.”

“I would also share that Opportunity Way symbolizes the journey that begins for our students at Florida Atlantic, and it’s a path defined, not by labels but by the opportunities that we provide and the achievements that we all reach together,” said Hasner at the meeting.

Hasner remarked in the meeting that the new name also honors FAU’s achievement as one of 21 public institutions in the nation to achieve both R1 status and a designation of Opportunity College and University by Carnegie. 

Staff quietly took down the Diversity Way signs without public notice. A university spokesperson, Lisa Metcalf, stated via email that Facilities Management removed the banners along the walkway in late February. 

“The banners were removed in preparation for installing new banners as part of the updated branding,” Metcalf told the University Press on March 25. This removal of signage may be related to a strategic update, as the university announced a change to its visual identity last year, shifting from “FAU” to “Florida Atlantic.”

Chris Robé, a film studies professor at FAU for 20 years, said that university personnel did not give any information about the removal of the Diversity Way banners to him or other faculty members. At the time of the interview, the university had no announcement about potentially renaming the walkway. 

Robé voiced that the Diversity Way signs being taken down is “an empty symbolic act, but it’s part of a larger violence against all our students, saying ‘you don’t exist.’”

In January, the U.S. Department of Education took action to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including removing mentions of them in public communications and the workforce. Robé made a connection that the sign removal can be related to anti-DEI legislation, which he says has been a concern among many faculty members at FAU for the past two years. 

University officials did not confirm whether or not these political and legal pressures influenced the renaming of Diversity Way.

“Presidents come and go, politicians come and go. The problem is, I feel bad for the student experience,” Robé said. “College should be a point of exploration, experimentation, and inquiry. It shouldn’t be a moment of fear, and watching what you’re saying. That’s awful. That shapes you for life.”

Glory Cadet, a junior at FAU who moved from Haiti in 2017, was walking along the walkway she refers to as a “one-way street” for the entire university community to connect.

Cadet didn’t initially notice that the signage had changed, but once she did, it gave her a moment to reflect on the meaning behind both the old and new names. She believes the new name is fitting and views the change in a positive light. While she doesn’t think the change was politically motivated, she wouldn’t be surprised if it were.

“Whether it’s Opportunity Way or Diversity Way, it’s still an opportunity [to network], and the school is still very much diverse in a sense,” she said. “There’s so much going on; let’s not just focus on the politics. Let’s enjoy the opportunity.”

Michael Cook is the Editor-in-Chief for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email michael17cook@gmail.com. 

Laurie Mermet is the former News Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email lmermet04@gmail.com or DM laurie.mmt on Instagram.