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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