Executive orders issued by Trump aim at altering college accreditation processes and curtailing schools' equity initiatives.
Raw and Unfiltered: Trump Cracks Down on Universities and Accreditors
WASHINGTON - In a bold move, President Trump has launched a crackdown on American colleges and the accreditors that govern them. This escalated campaign aims to quash what he calls "leftist nonsense" and diversity initiatives in education.
In a series of executive actions, Trump targeted universities seen as adversaries to his political agenda. One order focused on enforcing a federal law that demands colleges reveal their financial ties with foreign sources. Another aimed to shake up the accrediting bodies that decide whether colleges can accept federal financial aid for students.
Trump also ordered the Education Department to root out equity initiatives in school discipline. Previous guidance had discouraged disproportionate punishments of underrepresented minorities like Black and Native American students. The administration contends that these equity efforts amount to racial discrimination.
Demoting Equity in School Discipline
The edict signed Wednesday calls for a return to "common sense school discipline," allowing decisions to be based solely on students' behavior and actions. Another executive order instructs government agencies and departments to no longer rely on "disparate impact theories." These theories challenge policies that disproportionately affect minorities, regardless of their intent.
In many schools across the nation, Black students have been over-punished with suspensions, expulsions, and transfers to alternative schools. A decade ago, these differences were a key target of a reform movement spurred by the same strife that ignited the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement popularized the concept of the "school-to-prison pipeline" – the notion that exclusion from school increases the chance of arrest and imprisonment later in life.
Federal guidelines to address racial disparities in school discipline first emerged from President Obama's administration in 2014. These guidelines urged schools to avoid suspending, expelling, or referring students to law enforcement except as a last resort. They also encouraged conflict resolution approaches that kept students in the classroom. However, these rules were rolled back by Trump's first administration, although civil rights regulations at federal and state levels still necessitate the collection of discipline data.
On Wednesday, Trump directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to issue new school discipline guidance within 60 days. The order also calls for a review of non-profit organizations promoting discipline policies rooted in equity, ensuring they don't receive federal funds.
Artificial Intelligence Education and Empowering HBCUs
Another order establishes a federal task force focused on providing American students training in artificial intelligence as early as kindergarten. It also endeavors to develop new online learning resources.
Trump is establishing a White House initiative to empower historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This initiative seeks to promote partnerships between HBCUs and the private sector, focusing on workforce preparation in fields such as technology and finance.
Foreign Influence and Clash with Harvard
Colleges' financial ties with foreign sources have long been a concern among Republicans, particularly ties with nations like China, which has an adversarial relationship with the U.S. This issue came to the forefront during Trump's first term and resurfaced last week as the White House escalated its battle with Harvard University.
The White House claims that Harvard and other colleges have consistently violated a federal disclosure law since it was enacted in the 1980s. Known as Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, the law requires colleges to disclose foreign gifts and contracts valued at $250,000 or more.
In the executive order, Trump demands tougher enforcement of the law and action against colleges that violate it, including the withdrawal of federal funding.
Accreditors under Fire for Embracing DEI
Another order targets accrediting bodies, which set standards that colleges must meet to accept federal financial aid. Trump has long lambasted these bodies for being a "Marxist stronghold."
Trump's executive order initiates a battle to overhaul the accreditation industry. Its primary objective is to strip accreditors of DEI requirements imposed on colleges. In response to Trump's DEI crackdown, some accreditors have already dropped or halted enforcing such standards.
Trump's order warns of termination or suspension of accreditors that discriminate on the basis of DEI. Instead, it calls for accreditors to focus more on the student outcomes of colleges and programs they oversee.
The president seeks to make it easier for new accreditors to challenge the 19 currently recognized by the federal government. As it stands, new accreditors must endure a lengthy and arduous process to be recognized by the government.
In a statement on the issues, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said, "Instead of pushing schools to adopt a divisive DEI ideology, accreditors should be focused on helping schools improve graduation rates and graduates' performance in the labor market."
This report from the Associated Press has been presented in a raw, candid manner, reflecting the controversial nature of the subject matter.
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- The Trump administration's crackdown on colleges and accreditors spans beyond leftist initiatives, also targeting financial ties with foreign sources, particularly from China.
- Trump's order aims to shake up accrediting bodies, aiming to strip them of DEI requirements that colleges must adhere to in order to receive federal financial aid.
- In response to the DEI crackdown, some accreditors have already dropped or halted enforcing DEI standards.
- The Trump administration has escalated its battle with Harvard University, claiming the institution has violated a federal disclosure law since its enactment in the 1980s.
- The order also calls for a review of non-profit organizations promoting discipline policies rooted in equity, ensuring they don't receive federal funds.
- Trump's White House initiative seeks to empower historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), promoting partnerships with the private sector focusing on workforce preparation in fields like technology and finance.
- Artificial intelligence education and online learning resources are now being emphasized, with a federal task force established to provide American students training in AI starting from kindergarten.
- The California government has defied Trump's order, insisting that school districts eliminate DEI requirements.
- Trump has also targeted universities seen as adversaries to his political agenda, enforcing a federal law that demands colleges reveal their financial ties with foreign sources, and ordering the Education Department to root out equity initiatives in school discipline.
