Dallas Express Highlights AIM’s Exposure of DEI at Arizona State University
January 31, 2026
An Arizona State University Dean was caught on undercover video admitting that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs continue to thrive at the school, just under rebranded names.
This admission comes as ASU students and faculty lost more than $7.5 million in federal grants last summer due to DEI-related issues.
Accuracy in Media (AIM) released footage showing Chandra Crudup explaining how the university maintains their DEI practices while avoiding any direct terminology or labeling. According to her ASU bio, Crudup is “an Associate Dean in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions and a Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University (ASU). She is the Acting Director of the Studio for Creativity, Place and Equitable Communities.”
When asked by an investigator posing as a prospective student how ASU handles DEI, Crudup was clear.
“We started changing language, but we’re still doing the same thing,” said Crudup. “…to not become a target, we shifted some of our language.”
When asked if there were a DEI ban, Crudup said, “No, there is not … it’s all still happening.”
Crudup said ASU rebranded DEI as “Inclusive Excellence.”
The recent DEI rebranding flub came only months after ASU lost a total of $7,659,588 in National Science Foundation grants related to DEI programming, according to The AZ Free News.