Colleges and K-12 Schools Ordered to Abolish DEI or Face Funding Cuts
New Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education has given colleges and schools with race-specific programs – including financial aid and racially themed dormitory floors and graduation ceremonies – until the end of the month to abolish them or risk losing federal funding as educators scrambled over the holiday weekend to interpret the sweeping scope of new guidelines.
New Federal Anti-Discrimination Enforcement Policy
The “dear colleague” letter from the department’s civil rights division and addressed to K-12-and-higher education leaders lays out a new federal anti-discrimination enforcement policy that extends beyond the use of race in admissions, a practice barred since 2023 by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sweeping Scope of New Guidelines
The guidelines, signed by acting assistant secretary for civil rights Craig Trainor, said schools using “race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life” were in violation of anti-discrimination laws and legal precedent set in the high court’s affirmative action case.
Education Experts React to the New Guidelines
Education and legal experts said Sunday the department’s guidance targets not only practices in which scholars agree that the use of race is illegal – admissions and hiring – but also those that are commonplace and often not controversial. They include scholarships aiding under-represented racial minorities, culturally themed dorm room floors and optional graduation ceremonies for Black, Latino, Native American and other college and high school groups.
Conclusion
The new guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education have sent shockwaves through the educational community, with many institutions scrambling to comply with the new regulations. While some view the guidelines as a necessary step towards promoting equality and inclusivity, others see them as an overreach that could have unintended consequences. As the debate continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in U.S. education hangs in the balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
* What are the new guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education?
+ The guidelines require colleges and schools to abolish race-specific programs, including financial aid and racially themed dormitory floors and graduation ceremonies, or risk losing federal funding.
* What is the deadline for compliance?
+ The deadline is the end of the month.
* Will other types of school programming, such as women-only residence halls or programs for LGBTQ+ students or religious communities, be affected?
+ No, the guidelines specifically target race-specific programs, not other types of school programming.
* What is the impact on funding?
+ The letter did not specify what type of federal funds for schools and colleges are at risk, but the potential for funding cuts is significant, with California receiving about $16.3 billion in total federal funding for its 5.8 million K-12 public school students in the 2022-2023 school year.
* How will the Department of Education enforce these guidelines?
+ The department will “vigorously enforce the law on equal terms as to all preschool, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educational institutions, as well as state educational agencies, that receive financial assistance.”
