National leaders in campus diversity work described a tumultuous five years for higher‑education DEI offices and argued the field is shifting rather than vanishing. Paulette Granberry Russell, who led the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education through a period of heightened political scrutiny and budget cuts, recounted defunding threats, legal challenges and reorganizations while urging practitioners to adapt strategy and metrics. Scholars and administrators are debating whether DEI should return to a compliance model, be reframed as equity and inclusion practice, or be embedded across academic and research units. The debate will shape staffing, funding and the role of campus centers in recruiting, retention and federal reporting. Clarification: DEI refers to institutional efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion across hiring, curriculum, student life and research.