Guidelines for Higher Education: President Donald J. Trump Promotes Openness in University Admission Procedures
In a significant move, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order in January 2025, aiming to end discriminatory and illegal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) preferences in higher education. This order is part of a broader initiative under Project 2025, which demands a detailed accounting of how federal programs and grants promote DEI and challenges current civil rights enforcement approaches [1].
The order directs federal agencies and universities to eliminate DEI preferences that it judges to be unlawful or discriminatory. Universities are now required to share data and comply with agreements to ensure adherence to merit-based admissions and hiring, as seen in settlements with Columbia University and Brown University for stricter oversight [3].
The legal rationale for this order follows the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended affirmative action in college admissions. The order applies strict scrutiny to race-based preferences and emphasizes nondiscrimination under civil rights laws such as Title VI and Title IX [2].
This Executive Order significantly curtails DEI initiatives in higher education. Many DEI efforts are now labeled as illegal preferential treatments, threatening funding and oversight for institutions that do not comply. The order marks a clear shift in federal civil rights enforcement away from supporting programs focused on addressing historical discrimination towards a merit and neutrality-centered framework [1][2][3].
The practical impact includes universities removing DEI language and commitments, with some facing financial penalties or oversight to ensure compliance with the merit-based admission and hiring requirements established by the administration [1][3].
Moreover, the Memorandum instructs the Secretary of Education to expand the scope of required reporting for institutions' admissions data. The Secretary is directed to take remedial action if institutions fail to submit data in a timely manner or submit incomplete or inaccurate data [4]. The Secretary is also directed to revamp the online presentation and data collection of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) [5].
The Memorandum further aims to hold elite universities accountable and ensure they prioritize fairness, merit, and American values. The lack of available admissions data from universities, paired with the rampant use of "diversity statements" and other racial proxies, continues to raise concerns about whether race is actually used in admissions decisions in practice [6].
In summary, the 2025 Executive Order under President Trump reshapes higher education policy by ending federal support for DEI preferences deemed discriminatory or illegal, enforcing merit-based policies, and introducing strict federal oversight of universities' admissions and hiring practices to align with this new legal framework. American students, parents, and taxpayers should have confidence that our Nation's institutions of higher education are recruiting and training our next generations with fairness and integrity.
References: [1] "Trump Administration's Project 2025: A New Era for Civil Rights Enforcement" - The Heritage Foundation [2] "Supreme Court Ruling Ends Affirmative Action in College Admissions" - The New York Times [3] "Settlements with Columbia and Brown Universities: A New Era for Merit-Based Admissions" - The Wall Street Journal [4] "Presidential Memorandum on Promoting Fairness and Equity in Higher Education Admissions" - The White House [5] "Revamping IPEDS: A Step Towards Transparency in Higher Education" - Inside Higher Ed [6] "Concerns about Racial Discrimination in Higher Education Admissions" - The Washington Post
