Trump threatens to cut federal funding from Ohio schools unless they cut “race-based” practices. What is CSU’s fate? – The Cauldron
The Trump administration has given schools and universities across the country 14 days to cut “race-based practices” or risk losing federal funding, according to a letter issued by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on Friday, Feb. 14.
The justification for this decision rests in the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that race-conscious admissions policies at colleges and universities violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. However, this decision extends beyond admission to include hiring, financial aid, scholarships and all aspects of student life.
The move is part of a broader effort by the current presidential administration to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in schools and businesses. Trump also seeks to weaken the federal bureaucracy, which includes its influence in education. For example, he has proposed eliminating the ED.
This decision on DEI comes after the ED cut $600 million in federal grants that funded teacher training on “inappropriate and unnecessary topics” such as racism, ableism, gender-based discrimination, homophobia and white supremacy. The department also suspended staff involved in DEI initiatives, removed 200 DEI-related web pages and dissolved internal diversity groups.
In an email to the campus community sent Tuesday, Feb. 18 titled “CSU’s Approach to New Legislative Policy and Executive Orders,” CSU president Laura Bloomberg addressed the uncertainty stemming from the mix of information coming out of the White House.
“We will advocate for changes that support our students and our mission, and we will join with other higher education institutions, as well as local and state entities, in opposing federal changes that would be particularly detrimental to our mission,” Bloomberg wrote. “At present, this includes, for example, reductions in U.S. Department of Education, NASA, or NIH funding that would be detrimental to our core teaching, research, and workforce development efforts.”
The email outlines a list of initiatives that Bloomberg and administrative leadership are “committed to doing” amid the uncertainty, including monitoring, communication with campus departments and offices directly impacted by any developments and dissemination of information.
Combined with the recent passage of Ohio Senate Bill 1 in the State Senate, which would eliminate similar DEI programs and initiatives in Ohio colleges and universities, CSU will most likely have to review and rewrite diversity policies in order to retain funding.
“Once a final decision is made on a policy directive, we must and we will comply with it,” said Bloomberg. “Until that time, however, we all can exercise our right to voice opposition and communicate our concerns.”