The Trump administration stepped up its efforts to end affirmative action in university admissions with a new executive order.
President Donald Trump signed an order requiring higher education institutions receiving federal money to be “transparent” about their admissions practices, the White House confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
According to a fact sheet provided by the White House, Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be directed to change data collection protocols for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to make it easily accessible to the general public, including parents and prospective university students.
“The memorandum instructs the Secretary of Education to expand the scope of required reporting for institutions’ admissions data in order to provide adequate transparency as determined by the Secretary of Education,” the fact sheet says.
The Department of Education will subsequently increase “accuracy checks” for data submitted through the system and take action against universities that fail to submit the data in a timely or complete manner.
The purpose is to help ensure that universities have ended race-based admissions practices in accordance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case.
“President Trump is ending discriminatory practices that are illegal, strip opportunities and scholarships from hardworking students, and waste taxpayer dollars,” the fact sheet says.
Despite the ruling, the White House remains concerned that universities will continue race-based admissions under the radar unless they are forced to report data to the federal government. Specifically, it is concerned that using “diversity statements” and other measures constitutes hidden racial proxies that could be used to accomplish the same ends.
Nearly all accredited universities in the United States, including private colleges, receive federal funding from the federal government, a fact that Trump is using to his advantage as he seeks changes in the higher education sector.
According to the White House, the data will be used to verify that admissions are not being made based on race and will be provided to the public, giving prospective students and their parents more information about the universities.
“American students, parents, and taxpayers should have confidence that our nation’s institutions of higher education are recruiting and training our next generations with fairness and integrity,” the fact sheet says.
Trump has been warring against what he sees as rampant leftism on university campuses since retaking office in January. He has cracked down on protesters who hide their faces and even attempted to deport some foreign student protest organizers.
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The White House said the move is about holding elite universities accountable and making sure they promote merit and “American values.”
This follows previous executive orders attempting to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on university campuses, suspend the entry of foreign nationals to exchange programs at Harvard University, and prevent biological men from playing in women’s sports.