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Exec Orders Target Colleges 04/24 05:37
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump has ordered sharper scrutiny of
America's colleges and the accreditors that oversee them, part of his
escalating campaign to end what he calls " wokeness " and diversity efforts in
education.
In a series of executive actions signed Wednesday, Trump targeted
universities that he views as liberal adversaries to his political agenda. One
order called for harder enforcement of a federal law requiring colleges to
disclose their financial ties with foreign sources, while another called for a
shakeup of the accrediting bodies that decide whether colleges can accept
federal financial aid awarded to students.
Trump also ordered the Education Department to root out efforts to ensure
equity in discipline in the nation's K-12 schools. Previous guidance from
Democratic administrations directed schools not to disproportionately punish
underrepresented minorities such as Black and Native American students. The
administration says equity efforts amount to racial discrimination.
Foreign money is at issue in clash with Harvard
Colleges' financial ties with foreign sources have long been a concern among
Republicans, especially ties with China and other countries with adversarial
relationships with the U.S. It became a priority during Trump's first term and
reemerged last week as the White House grasped for leverage in its escalating
battle with Harvard University.
The White House said it needed to take action because Harvard and other
colleges have routinely violated a federal disclosure law, which has been
unevenly enforced since it was passed in the 1980s. Known as Section 117 of the
Higher Education Act, the law requires colleges to disclose foreign gifts and
contracts valued at $250,000 or more.
Last week, the Education Department demanded records from Harvard over
foreign financial ties spanning the past decade, accusing the school of filing
"incomplete and inaccurate disclosures." Trump's administration is sparring
with Harvard over the university's refusal to accept a list of demands over its
handling of pro-Palestinian protests as well as its diversity, equity and
inclusion efforts.
In the executive order, Trump calls on the Education Department and the
attorney general to step up enforcement of the law and take action against
colleges that violate it, including a cutoff of federal money.
The Trump administration intends to "end the secrecy surrounding foreign
funds in American educational institutions" and protect against "foreign
exploitation," the order said.
It was applauded by Republicans, including Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan,
chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He accused China
of exploiting academic ties to steal research and "indoctrinate students."
Accreditors ordered to drop DEI
Another order aims at accrediting bodies that set standards colleges must
meet to accept federal financial aid from students. Trump campaigned on a
promise to overhaul the industry, saying it was "dominated by Marxist Maniacs
and lunatics."
Often overlooked as an obscure branch of college oversight, accreditors play
an important role in shaping colleges in many aspects, with standards that
apply all the way from colleges' governing boards to classroom curriculum.
Trump's executive order is the opening salvo in what could be a lengthy
battle to overhaul the accrediting industry. Chief among his priorities is to
strip accreditors of DEI requirements imposed on colleges. Some accreditors
have already dropped or stopped enforcing such standards amid Trump's DEI
crackdown.
Trump's order calls on the government to suspend or terminate accreditors
that discriminate in the name of DEI. Instead, it calls on accreditors to focus
more squarely on the student outcomes of colleges and programs they oversee.
The president wants to make it easier for new accreditors to compete with
the 19 that are now authorized to work on behalf of the federal government. As
it stands, new accreditors looking to be recognized by the government must
undergo an arduous process that traditionally takes years. Trump's order said
it should be "transparent, efficient, and not unduly burdensome."
"Instead of pushing schools to adopt a divisive DEI ideology, accreditors
should be focused on helping schools improve graduation rates and graduates'
performance in the labor market," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a
statement.
De-emphasizing equity in school discipline
Trump also invoked opposition to equity efforts in his order on school
discipline. The edict signed Wednesday seeks a return to "common sense school
discipline," allowing decisions to be based solely on students' behavior and
actions, McMahon said.
Another executive order instructs government agencies and departments to no
longer rely on "disparate impact theories." Under the disparate impact
standard, policies and practices that disproportionately impact minorities and
other protected groups could be challenged regardless of their intent.
In many schools around the country, Black students have been more likely to
receive punishments that remove them from the classroom, including suspensions,
expulsions and being transferred to alternative schools. A decade ago, those
differences became the target of a reform movement spurred by the same
reckoning that gave rise to Black Lives Matter. The movement elevated the
concept of the "school-to-prison pipeline" -- the notion that being kicked out
of school, or dropping out, increases the chance of arrest and imprisonment
years later.
Federal guidelines to address racial disparities in school discipline first
came from President Barack Obama's administration in 2014. Federal officials
urged schools not to suspend, expel or refer students to law enforcement except
as a last resort, and encouraged restorative justice practices that did not
push students out of the classroom. Those rules were rolled back by Trump's
first administration, but civil rights regulations at federal and state levels
still mandate the collection of data on discipline.
On Wednesday, Trump directed McMahon to issue new school discipline guidance
within 60 days. The order also calls for a review of nonprofit organizations
that have promoted discipline policies rooted in equity and ensure they don't
receive federal money.
Another order creates a federal task force focused on giving America's
students training on artificial intelligence as early as kindergarten. It would
work to develop new online learning resources.
Trump is also establishing a White House initiative to empower Historically
Black Colleges and Universities. Among other efforts, it would seek to promote
private-sector partnerships with HBCUs and schools' workforce preparation in
industries like technology and finance.
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The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from
multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find
AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded
coverage areas at AP.org.
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