Colleges and universities have two weeks to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and remove policies that allow schools to consider race in admissions, scholarships, or any campus or academic programs.
The directive puts several DEI programs at Cincinnati-area universities in the government's crosshairs and requires swift action from higher education leaders.
What does the directive say?
The U.S. Department of Education issued the directive Friday to all K-12 and higher education institutions that receive federal funding. It threatened to remove that funding if schools don't comply with the removal of DEI programs and policies.
In a letter to these institutions, the Department of Education claims America's schools and universities have encouraged segregation and engaged in racial discrimination that it describes as "a shameful echo of a darker period in this country's history."
The directive includes:
- prohibiting colleges from evaluating a student's essay, writing samples, or participation in extracurricular activities that may predict a student's race during the admissions process;
- reinstating the requirement of test scores. In 2020, many colleges around the country removed rules requiring students to submit SAT and ACT scores to be considered for admission. Last year, several local universities told WVXU they had no plans to reinstate their testing requirements, but the Department's directive will make it unlawful to not require these standardized tests.
Research from the University of Pennsylvania indicates a strong correlation between high standardized test scores and a student's household income. High school GPAs and class rank tend to have less of a correlation to the economic status of a student.
Here's how universities are responding days after the directive.
University of Cincinnati
Monday night, University of Cincinnati president Neville Pinto released a statement to the UC community responding to the Department of Education's letter. In it, Pinto says changes to the university's policies are underway.
"Provost Kristi Nelson and I are assessing the impact on our university and meeting with all deans and vice presidents this week to provide specific guidance and action steps," Pinto wrote. "We ask for your patience and understanding as we work through how best to comply with this confluence of complex, fast-moving legal and policy changes at various levels of government."
UC has an Office of Equity & Inclusion and an Office of Equal Opportunity with stated goals of addressing discrimination and making the university more welcoming to people of all backgrounds. Several schools within UC, including the College of Nursing, College of Law, and Allied Health Sciences, also have DEI initiatives of their own.
In September 2024, UC's Vice President for Enrollment Jack Miner told WVXU the university doesn't consider race in its admissions process. Instead, Miner says UC uses a "holistic review" and has encouraged more students in Cincinnati to enroll.
Though UC says it doesn't explicitly consider race in its admissions or scholarships, its policies and programs could still be under fire. The Department of Education says "although some programs may appear neutral on their face, a closer look reveals that they are, in fact, motivated by racial considerations."
UC welcomed its most racially diverse study body to campus last fall, with students of color making up 28% of the student population.
Xavier University
The web pages for Xavier University's Center for Diversity and Inclusion and its athletic department have been removed, though DEI pages for its College of Professional Sciences and Center for Teaching Excellence remain at the time of this story's publication.
Xavier's THRIVE Center, which connects students with programs to support students of color and campus groups for LGBTQ+ students, may also be at risk of being struck down.
A spokesperson for Xavier did not respond to a request for comment before this article was released.
Miami University
Miami University's web pages for diversity, equity, and inclusion, which have links to campus cultural and LGBTQ+ groups, were still online as of Tuesday afternoon. Miami's Graduate School and College of Creative Arts also have web pages signaling support for DEI initiatives.
A Miami University spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University dissolved its Office of Inclusive Excellence last summer after receiving pressure from state lawmakers. Though NKU President Cady Short-Thompson says the school has improved its academic rankings and rating since implementing its DEI programs and becoming more racially diverse, the office was closed anyway.
After the DEI office's closure, Short-Thompson told WVXU the university was still committed to offering similar services through its Center for Student Inclusiveness. The center's web page is live as of Tuesday. It includes links to services for Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ initiatives that may clash with the federal government's demands.
The majority of students enrolled at UC, Xavier, Miami, and NKU are white.
The Department of Education is asking anyone who believes an academic entity is using discriminatory practices to file a complaint with the Department's Office for Civil Rights.
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