WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is giving American schools and universities to eliminate two weeks Diversity Initiative Or risk losing federal funds, raising the stakes of the president’s fight against “attraction,” and winging the confusion as the school rushes to follow.
In a memo on Friday, the education department gave an ultimatum to cease the use of “racial preferences” as a factor in admissions, financial aid, employment, or other areas. Schools are given 14 days to complete practices treating students and workers differently for their race.
The drastic demand could support education in countless ways. Memos target university admissions offices and order termination Personal essay Alternatively, create a prompt that can be used to predict the applicant’s race. Doors and graduation events for students of certain races are prohibited. Efforts to recruit teachers from underrated groups can be considered discrimination.
This is intended to amend what the memos are described as ramp-prolonged discrimination in education, often for white and Asian students.
“Schools operate on the pretext that selecting students for ‘diversity’ or similar e-song expressions is not based on race,” says Craig Trainer, Deputy Civil Rights Secretary. states. “Now. Students should be evaluated according to their merit, achievement, and personality.”
The memo itself does not change federal law, but it reflects a change in federal interpretation of the anti-discrimination laws. Under that broad language, almost all practices that lead race to debate can be considered racism.
As a legal justification for the new memo, it quotes 2023 Supreme Court decision Excluding race as a factor in university admissions. The award only applies to admission, but the memo says it will “apply more widely.”
“Simply put, educational institutions cannot separate or separate students based on race, or distribute benefits or burdens based on race.”
This is an extension of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
On Monday, the education department announced that grants for organizations that train teachers have also cut $600 million. The program promoted “schizophrenia” concepts such as DEI, critical racial theories and social justice activities, the department said.
The memo brought a Waves of panic It crosses universities across the country as authorities rush to assess risks. Many were scrambling to assess which programs could be put at risk.
In a campus letter at the University of Michigan, President Santa J. Ono said leaders are working to understand what that means.
His message cited two examples of notes. One would prohibit admission essays that could predict the applicant’s race, while another example was standardized for schools to “achieve desired racial balance or increase racial diversity.” They say it is illegal to eliminate testing requirements.
Dozens of universities have finished Standardized Tests Recent requirements including Michigan.
Some universities said they expect little change from the memo. Oregon State University concluded through a legal review that its program is “fully in compliance with all state and federal laws,” according to a campus message from Rob Odom, vice president of university relations and marketing. Ta.
The department’s notes appear to aim for scholarships reserved for students of a particular racial background. Some schools and institutions decided to abolish the racial requirements of certain scholarships, and there was legal debate as to whether the Supreme Court decision would extend to financial aid.
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators said there is no consensus on the question, and the group is trying to understand how the memos affect student aid.
“But what we know is that 14 days are insufficient time for schools to assess and implement changes needed for compliance,” the group said in a statement. “The last thing students need when planning their college payment methods is uncertainty about when they will receive the financial aid they have relied on.”
The confusion over Trump’s order was evident last week. Confirmation hearing Linda McMahon, candidate for Secretary of Education. When asked whether African American history classes violate the president’s orders, McMahon said she was not certain.
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