Trump’s orders put university DEIA efforts in jeopardy

On Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Education sent a chilling letter to colleges and universities, but this Valentine’s Day letter was anything but loving. 

The “Dear Colleague” letter informed institutions receiving federal funding that they had two weeks from that date to eliminate their race-conscious programs under President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI policies. 

Now, more than a month later, the uncertainty surrounding those orders has left universities scrambling to find solutions or risk losing federal funding. Through orders like this, the Trump administration is placing institutions under a microscope to evaluate whether they are leaning too far to the “left” or becoming “too woke.”

In recent years, institutions have put extensive efforts into Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, many starting in 2020 after the Black Lives Matter protests.

While most diversity initiatives aim to educate students on systemic racism and the lived experiences of people from different racial backgrounds, many institutions still fall short in addressing the parts of American history that have had the greatest impact on communities of color. Critics argue DEIA programs make white students feel guilty about their ancestors’ actions. 

The conservative backlash against “wokeism” has put pressure on institutions to eliminate their DEIA-focused initiatives. Even if universities are not formally deleting resources, they are quietly cleaning them up. 

If the words “DEIA” are searched on the Syracuse University website, articles on DEIA workshops and initiatives start in 2021 but stop in 2024. 

On Feb. 20, SU Chancellor Kent Syverud addressed the campus in a statement reaffirming the university’s “longstanding values” and commitment to protecting students.

 “I, unfortunately, cannot guarantee certainty in this very uncertain environment. What I can do is assure you that the university and many people here are working hard every day and at night and on weekends to keep this university on course, true to its longstanding values, and welcoming to all people,” Syverud said in a university senate meeting. 

Syverud noted that he receives dozens of emails and phone calls daily with questions about potential changes. Organizations aligned with DEIA values are facing similar concerns and confusion.

Maddy Lynch, a 27-year-old Newhouse graduate student, said she fears the campus could become unsafe for LGBTQ+ students in the wake of these orders.

Lynch recently married her wife in her hometown, Bend, Oregon, and decided to move up their wedding plans to ensure their rights were protected before Trump returned to office. 

“I would have graduated from school, had a job, we’d be a little bit more stable and able to buy each other rings, actually plan a wedding, and do the whole thing,” Lynch said. “And then when Trump got elected, we had a really serious conversation about is it was safe to wait that long? If we end up waiting that long, are we actually even going to be able to legally get married?”

Growing up in a conservative town in northern Idaho, Lynch said it wasn’t until college that she felt safe coming out thanks to her university’s DEI programming.

“That was very crucial to me figuring out what my sexuality was. Not having that would have put me in a very different position, a much more unhappy position in life,” Lynch said.

When reaching out to organizations like the DEIA office at the Newhouse School of Public Communications to ask for an interview, they responded that any press had to go through approval because of the topic’s sensitive nature. There was no response from the university’s communications and marketing department after emailing for an interview request. 

In response to growing confusion, the U.S. Department of Education released a “frequently asked questions” letter on Feb. 28 in follow-up to the “Dear Colleague” letter about racial preferencing. 

Because private universities like SU receive federal funding from the government in areas like student aid programs and research funding, they are subject to the same scrutiny and investigations as public institutions if they fail to align with the education department’s guidelines. 

President Trump’s efforts to eliminate DEI courses across universities are unclear, as is the extent to which they need to be revised or eliminated to abide by the new laws.

Craig Trainor, the department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote the explanation for the elimination of DEI practices in the Dear Colleague letter, “Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon “systemic and structural racism” and advanced discriminatory policies and practices.”

Trainor said that this training has “particularly” occurred within the last four years. 

Across the country, many colleges and universities are at a standstill, with “I don’t know” as their response to the question of their plans of action. What exactly needs to happen to abide by Trump’s new executive orders is unclear. 

At SU, no official changes have been announced to change any DEI training for umbrella organizations like athletics, student engagement, communications offices or clubs. 

On March 6, Chancellor Syverud sent a mass email to the university community, reiterating SU’s position: “The university does not believe any of our programs discriminate against any group.”

As further investigation and interpretations of these new laws are being tried in court, Chancellor Syverud is committed to these programs and diversity, but that uncertainty remains.