{"id":728,"date":"2025-02-26T12:02:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T13:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/?p=728"},"modified":"2025-03-06T12:40:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T12:40:27","slug":"nyu-experts-on-trumps-anti-dei-crusade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/26\/nyu-experts-on-trumps-anti-dei-crusade\/","title":{"rendered":"NYU experts on Trump\u2019s anti-DEI crusade"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has issued a foray of orders for universities to terminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. With \u201c<\/span>vague<\/span><\/a>\u201d calls to end \u201c<\/span>egregious and discriminatory<\/span><\/a>\u201d departments and a full-on aid freeze, the White House has sent colleges across the country into a frenzy of renaming departments, changing protocols and removing identity-based protections.<\/span><\/p>\n

NYU has not yet made clear changes to its policies or websites, unlike <\/span>dozens of other major universities<\/span><\/a>, including Columbia University and Northeastern University. In a statement to WSN, university spokesperson John Beckman said administrators will continue to \u201cclosely monitor new developments to federal policies that relate to our campus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNYU remains committed to our entire community and to our values,\u201d Beckman said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The extent to which Trump\u2019s guidelines will impact NYU have remained unclear. Though a private institution, the university is still bound by the standards set by accreditation agencies, which have to be approved by the Department of Education. He also specifically called for investigations into universities with endowments of over $1 billion \u2014 a group that includes NYU \u2014 regardless of whether they receive federal funding.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a kind of ominous threat looming over all major American institutions,\u201d David Glasgow, the executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at NYU, said in an interview with WSN. \u201cNYU \u2014 and really any large institution \u2014 will have to get a lot of legal advice around their DEI, and whether they are vulnerable to an investigation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what has happened since Trump took office.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s first day in office<\/b><\/h4>\n

When Trump commenced his term with hundreds of executive actions, one of his first moves was to call for the end to all DEI-based grants, departments and hiring processes. In a Jan. 21 executive order, he said the programs were \u201c<\/span>dangerous, demeaning and immoral<\/span><\/a>\u201d violations of civil rights laws and revoked several executive orders from previous administrations related to diversity initiatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think DEI means some radical movement \u2014 it isn\u2019t,\u201d said Michael Funk, the program director of higher and postsecondary education at NYU. \u201cIf you take away those safeguards, it opens up an environment where folks can operate out of discriminatory practices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The initial order evoked confusion among university administrators and higher education experts. Some universities <\/span>changed website names<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>removed protections for transgender athletes<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>cancelled diversity-related seminars<\/span><\/a>. However, there was little explanation as to how the order would be legally enforced.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the decision faced backlash from universities and scientific institutions, conservative academics have argued that it\u2019s necessary to curb government spending. In an interview with WSN, National Association of Scholars President Peter Wood said universities\u2019 inclusion offices oppose civil rights laws that prohibit differential treatment based on identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a world of difference between just acknowledging the effects of racial difference and acting on them in a way that is pernicious,\u201d Wood said. \u201cIf you\u2019re acknowledging and then acting on that acknowledgement to confer a privileged position to some people against a disprivileged position for others, you’re doing something that is both morally wrong and illegal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A crackdown on research<\/b><\/h4>\n

In an effort to slash government spending, Trump called for a <\/span>pause to all federal aid<\/span><\/a> on Jan. 27 \u2014 leading to the termination of at least two NYU grants. The order aimed to give federal agencies time to evaluate which programs supported DEI initiatives so they could be promptly cut. Trump rescinded it two days later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, federal agencies have identified thousands of research grants related to race, gender, environmentalism and other subjects deemed \u201c<\/span>woke<\/span><\/a>.\u201d The sweeping orders faced criticism after researchers <\/span>expressed uncertainty<\/span><\/a> on whether their funding would stand under federal budget cuts. Additional limitations on research from the National Institutes of Health sparked criticism from scientists who said it would slow medical advancements.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven though it\u2019s in the private sector, it has an immense amount of public interest,\u201d Funk, who has also authored studies on DEI initiatives, told WSN. \u201cWe also work within community-based organizations, who also are receiving federal funding \u2014 so, without a doubt, it still directly would impact us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Two-week warning<\/b><\/h4>\n

On Feb. 14, the Department of Education <\/span>gave schools a two-week deadline<\/span><\/a> to eliminate their DEI programs and \u201cracial preferences\u201d as a factor in admissions, hiring or financial aid. The administration has not clarified what will happen after Feb. 28.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ann Marcus, director of the Steinhardt Institute of Higher Education Policy, said that race can play a role in the hiring process at academic institutions \u2014 just not to the extent that Trump has claimed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a faculty department has no faculty of color or major office in the university that\u2019s trying to have a diverse student body, they are going to want to correct that,\u201d Marcus said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re going to hire someone who\u2019s not completely qualified, but it does change the dynamic a little bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The deadline was <\/span>announced in a letter<\/span><\/a> sent to each state\u2019s education department. The <\/span>four-page document<\/span><\/a> claimed that the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s 2023 decision on affirmative action sets precedent to ban consideration of race in all university practices \u2014 not just admissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now alleging that DEI programs counter civil rights laws, the letter outlines a clearer pathway to legal arguments against institutional DEI practices. Since the letter was sent, universities have continued to <\/span>rename centers<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>remove diversity-oriented wording<\/span><\/a> from their policies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blocked in courts<\/b><\/h4>\n

On Friday evening, a <\/span>court in Maryland<\/span><\/a> blocked Trump\u2019s DEI-related executive orders pending the outcome of a lawsuit from the American Association of University Professors and several other higher education organizations. It is not immediately clear how the verdict will affect existing orders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The four plaintiffs alleged that the executive orders impose vague mandates by enforcing existing legal obligations \u2014 specifically those related to the affirmative action ban \u2014 rather than creating new ones. It also claimed that the executive order leaves too much authority to attorney generals, who are instructed to identify and deter DEI programs regardless of whether they receive federal funding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur mission and vision of ourselves as an institution is not just about obeying statutes, but is about beliefs that we have in the value of different perspectives, different voices, different points of view, different ways of looking at the world, coming from different places in the world \u2014 all of these things that sort of enrich an intellectual environment of a university,\u201d said Fabienne Doucet, executive director of a research center at NYU focused on equity in schools. \u201cIn theory, it shouldn\u2019t make a difference because our broader mission, vision and values are oriented toward who we want to include and celebrate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Contact Omar Drissi at news@nyunews.com.<\/em><\/p>\n

This story NYU experts on Trump\u2019s anti-DEI crusade<\/a> appeared first on Washington Square News<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has issued a foray of orders for universities to terminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. With \u201cvague\u201d calls to end \u201cegregious and discriminatory\u201d departments and a full-on aid freeze, the White House has sent colleges across the country into a frenzy of renaming departments, changing protocols and removing identity-based protections. NYU has not yet made clear changes to its policies or websites, unlike dozens of other major universities, including Columbia University and Northeastern University. In a statement to WSN, university spokesperson John Beckman said administrators will continue to \u201cclosely monitor new developments to federal policies that relate to our campus.\u201d \u201cNYU remains committed to our entire community and to our values,\u201d Beckman said. The extent to which Trump\u2019s guidelines will impact NYU have remained unclear. Though a private institution, the university is still bound by the standards set by accreditation agencies, which have to be approved by the Department of Education. He also specifically called for investigations into universities with endowments of over $1 billion \u2014 a group that includes NYU \u2014 regardless of whether they receive federal funding. \u201cIt\u2019s a kind of ominous threat looming over all major American institutions,\u201d David Glasgow, the executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at NYU, said in an interview with WSN. \u201cNYU \u2014 and really any large institution \u2014 will have to get a lot of legal advice around their DEI, and whether they are vulnerable to an investigation.\u201d Here\u2019s what has happened since Trump took office.\u00a0\u00a0 Trump\u2019s first day in office When Trump commenced his term with hundreds of executive actions, one of his first moves was to call for the end to all DEI-based grants, departments and hiring processes. In a Jan. 21 executive order, he said the programs were \u201cdangerous, demeaning and immoral\u201d violations of civil rights laws and revoked several executive orders from previous administrations related to diversity initiatives.\u00a0 \u201cPeople think DEI means some radical movement \u2014 it isn\u2019t,\u201d said Michael Funk, the program director of higher and postsecondary education at NYU. \u201cIf you take away those safeguards, it opens up an environment where folks can operate out of discriminatory practices.\u201d The initial order evoked confusion among university administrators and higher education experts. Some universities changed website names, removed protections for transgender athletes and cancelled diversity-related seminars. However, there was little explanation as to how the order would be legally enforced. While the decision faced backlash from universities and scientific institutions, conservative academics have argued that it\u2019s necessary to curb government spending. In an interview with WSN, National Association of Scholars President Peter Wood said universities\u2019 inclusion offices oppose civil rights laws that prohibit differential treatment based on identity.\u00a0 \u201cThere is a world of difference between just acknowledging the effects of racial difference and acting on them in a way that is pernicious,\u201d Wood said. \u201cIf you\u2019re acknowledging and then acting on that acknowledgement to confer a privileged position to some people against a disprivileged position for others, you’re doing something that is both morally wrong and illegal.\u201d A crackdown on research In an effort to slash government spending, Trump called for a pause to all federal aid on Jan. 27 \u2014 leading to the termination of at least two NYU grants. The order aimed to give federal agencies time to evaluate which programs supported DEI initiatives so they could be promptly cut. Trump rescinded it two days later.\u00a0 Since then, federal agencies have identified thousands of research grants related to race, gender, environmentalism and other subjects deemed \u201cwoke.\u201d The sweeping orders faced criticism after researchers expressed uncertainty on whether their funding would stand under federal budget cuts. Additional limitations on research from the National Institutes of Health sparked criticism from scientists who said it would slow medical advancements. \u201cEven though it\u2019s in the private sector, it has an immense amount of public interest,\u201d Funk, who has also authored studies on DEI initiatives, told WSN. \u201cWe also work within community-based organizations, who also are receiving federal funding \u2014 so, without a doubt, it still directly would impact us.\u201d Two-week warning On Feb. 14, the Department of Education gave schools a two-week deadline to eliminate their DEI programs and \u201cracial preferences\u201d as a factor in admissions, hiring or financial aid. The administration has not clarified what will happen after Feb. 28.\u00a0 Ann Marcus, director of the Steinhardt Institute of Higher Education Policy, said that race can play a role in the hiring process at academic institutions \u2014 just not to the extent that Trump has claimed. \u201cWhen a faculty department has no faculty of color or major office in the university that\u2019s trying to have a diverse student body, they are going to want to correct that,\u201d Marcus said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re going to hire someone who\u2019s not completely qualified, but it does change the dynamic a little bit.\u201d The deadline was announced in a letter sent to each state\u2019s education department. The four-page document claimed that the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s 2023 decision on affirmative action sets precedent to ban consideration of race in all university practices \u2014 not just admissions. Now alleging that DEI programs counter civil rights laws, the letter outlines a clearer pathway to legal arguments against institutional DEI practices. Since the letter was sent, universities have continued to rename centers and remove diversity-oriented wording from their policies.\u00a0 Blocked in courts On Friday evening, a court in Maryland blocked Trump\u2019s DEI-related executive orders pending the outcome of a lawsuit from the American Association of University Professors and several other higher education organizations. It is not immediately clear how the verdict will affect existing orders.\u00a0 The four plaintiffs alleged that the executive orders impose vague mandates by enforcing existing legal obligations \u2014 specifically those related to the affirmative action ban \u2014 rather than creating new ones. It also claimed that the executive order leaves too much authority to attorney generals, who are instructed to identify and deter DEI programs regardless of whether they receive federal funding.\u00a0 \u201cOur mission and vision of ourselves as an institution is not just about obeying statutes, but is about beliefs that we have in the value of different perspectives, different voices, different points of view, different ways of looking at the world, coming from different places in the world \u2014 all of these things that sort of enrich an intellectual environment of a university,\u201d said Fabienne Doucet, executive director of a research center at NYU focused on equity in schools. \u201cIn theory, it shouldn\u2019t make a difference because our broader mission, vision and values are oriented toward who we want to include and celebrate.\u201d Contact Omar Drissi at news@nyunews.com. This story NYU experts on Trump\u2019s anti-DEI crusade appeared first on Washington Square News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=728"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":731,"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728\/revisions\/731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jtotheb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}