On January 21, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at “influential institutions in American society,” including the federal government, major corporations, and colleges and universities.
In the EO, the Trump administration argues that DEI policies and programs violate national civil rights laws and undermine national unity, and calls on federal agencies to actively work to eliminate DEI programs. Importantly, the EO threatens to investigate all institutions with endowments worth over $1 billion that do not comply with anti-DEI measures.
To shield themselves from scrutiny and potential funding losses, a growing number of higher ed institutions (and nonprofits) are phasing out DEI policies and cancelling programs that could be perceived as DEI-oriented.
Here are just a few examples:
- Before Trump even took office, the University of Michigan—which has historically championed DEI—took preemptive steps to comply with possible anti-DEI directives and adopted a policy of “institutional neutrality.” Additionally, UM removed diversity statements from their hiring process and barred administrators from making political statements. [The New York Times, subscription model]
- Michigan State University cancelled a Lunar New Year event, citing the EO and concern from its international student population. The institution also indefinitely postponed a webinar titled “The Future of DEI Policy at MSU.” [Bridge Michigan]
- Rutgers University’s Center for Minority Serving Institutions cancelled its upcoming virtual conference on HBCUs and Registered Apprenticeships due to the EO. The news was shared with attendees via email. [Inside Higher Ed]
- Northeastern University neutralized the language on its website, removing mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in favor of terms like “belonging.” Northeastern spokesperson Renata Nyul said of the changes: “While internal structures and approaches may need to be adjusted, the university’s core values don’t change. We believe that embracing our differences—and building a community of belonging—makes Northeastern stronger.” [The Boston Globe, subscription model]
A separate EO directed federal agencies to cease all “equity-related” grants, which has stunted research:
- Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis shared with Yale Daily News that the institution’s research mission may be compromised by the EO, and ongoing research with ties to DEI initiatives may have to be “re-evaluated.”
- Arizona State University and North Carolina State University shared new guidance for research operations and asked researchers to cease all projects with DEI components, activities, or outreach, specifically calling out the Trump administration’s EOs as the cause.
- Major research institutions rely on research grants to ensure financial security, so for some, this EO may result in devastating losses. For example, about 40% of the $815 million in research funding obtained by the University of California, San Francisco last year was used to cover administrative costs.
- Also, the University of Arizona is poised to lose $10 million in annual diversity-related grants for research from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation.
- The EO also has a chilling effect on university hiring for research, as the funding for certain projects is now halted. Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Steven Salzberg said, “Right now, I feel like I cannot make any offers [to graduate-level researchers] because I don’t know when the funding situation will be resolved.” [The Wall Street Journal, subscription model]
Stay informed: The Chronicle of Higher Education is tracking higher ed’s response to anti-DEI executive actions and legislation. As of January 24, 227 college campuses in 33 states have made some changes to remain in compliance with the law. Check it out here.