Trump officials went after dozens of colleges. Now they’re rewriting the rules for all of academia
The Trump administration is shifting from targeting individual universities to rewriting federal rules for all U.S. higher education institutions, focusing on curbing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, transgender athlete participation, and perceived anti-white discrimination. New proposals include requiring 'intellectual diversity' in accreditation, mandating federal grants align with the president’s policy priorities, and certifying compliance with administration-defined civil rights interpretations.
The Trump administration is expanding its campaign against higher education by rewriting federal rules that apply to all 6,000 U.S. universities, rather than targeting individual campuses. After federal judges blocked funding cuts at Harvard and UCLA, officials like Education Department Undersecretary Nicholas Kent announced a broader strategy to enforce conservative priorities across academia. The shift includes proposals to overhaul accreditation standards, requiring colleges to demonstrate 'intellectual diversity'—a term critics say is a veiled demand for more conservative viewpoints. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a rule forcing federal agencies to ensure grants advance the president’s policy priorities, explicitly banning funds from supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or 'anti-American values.' Another proposal from the General Services Administration would require universities and contractors to certify they lack DEI policies deemed unlawful by the administration. The rules also target transgender athlete participation and policies perceived as discriminatory against white students. At least 11 new rules at the Education Department aim to streamline funding cuts for schools violating the administration’s interpretation of civil rights law. The rulemaking process, while bureaucratic, offers a more permanent way to enforce policies than previous targeted investigations. Critics warn the changes could stifle academic freedom, while supporters argue they promote transparency and conservative values in education. The proposals follow a year of investigations into universities like Harvard and Northwestern, where Trump officials accused schools of antisemitism and anti-white bias. The administration’s mass exodus of civil rights lawyers has not deterred its push to eliminate what it calls 'wokeness' in academia. The new rules, if finalized, would reshape federal oversight of higher education for years to come.
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