Contenders at the helm of colleges are maintaining their offensive stance against the Trump administration, persisting in their fight even after settlements by prominent educational institutions
In a significant push during President Trump's second term, the administration has launched a two-pronged attack on colleges and universities, demanding an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and accusing several institutions of antisemitism.
The administration's offensive began with an executive order signed on Trump's second day in office, declaring that institutions of higher education have adopted and actively used dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called "diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)".
This move marked the start of a series of actions aimed at dismantling DEI programs in elite education. The administration has suspended foreign nationals from studying at Harvard, negotiated outcomes with universities about sports and merit-based admissions, and supported state-level laws banning DEI in public universities.
Moreover, the administration has sought to restructure federal education policy to reduce civil rights protections and diversity-related funding. Notably, the University of Pennsylvania made a settlement with the administration worth $175 million, following a controversy surrounding a transgender athlete setting women's records in their swimming program.
The Trump administration's efforts against DEI programs have not been without controversy. In response, more than 600 college presidents signed an open letter calling Trump's actions "unprecedented government overreach". Danielle Holley, president of Mount Holyoke College, a vocal Trump critic, warned about threats from the administration before Inauguration Day.
However, the administration's efforts have faced significant legal challenges. A federal district judge recently struck down the Department of Education's attempt to withhold federal funding from institutions supporting DEI programs, ruling that the administration violated procedural and constitutional requirements.
Key institutions, such as Harvard and Columbia University, have also fought back. Harvard has been in talks with the administration about finding a way out of their legal standoff, and President Alan Garber has asserted that retaining academic freedom without government-monitored "intellectual diversity" remains nonnegotiable.
The administration's focus on antisemitism has also been met with criticism. Protestors have verbally harassed some Jewish students, vandalized Harvard's campus, and posted swastika stickers near Harvard Hillel's Rosovsky Hall, according to a government brief citing Harvard's investigation.
As the administration moves on to public institutions, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has faced a freeze on hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, with a government draft proposal suggesting the university pay $1 billion dollars.
In response to the administration's policies, some universities have reconfigured their DEI programs. Wesleyan University, for instance, has opened its summer camp program for middle school girls in STEM studies to boys. President Michael S. Roth of Wesleyan University openly criticizes the Trump administration for its ongoing battle to pull funding from schools that don't toe its line on various issues.
The administration's crusade against DEI programs has also extended to transgender athletes in sports. Brown University signed its own settlement with the government that included a ban on "unlawful DEI goals" and banned transgender women from women's housing.
In summary, while the Trump administration is aggressively pursuing anti-DEI reforms in elite institutions through executive and legislative means, these efforts face significant legal challenges and setbacks in federal courts that have limited the administration’s ability to enforce anti-DEI policies through federal funding threats. The future of DEI programs in higher education remains uncertain as the administration's actions continue to be contested.
- The Trump administration's offensive against diversity, education, and self-development (DEI) programs in colleges and universities has extended to politics, as universities face funding threats for not aligning with the administration's views on various issues.
- In the realm of general news, the Trump administration's crusade against DEI programs in higher education has faced significant legal challenges, with federal courts ruling against the administration's attempt to withhold funding from institutions supporting DEI programs.
