PHILADELPHIA — In Boston, Northeastern University has renamed a program aimed at underrepresented students to emphasize the concept of “belonging” for everyone. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, a session at Rutgers University designed for students from historically Black colleges had to be canceled unexpectedly. Across the country, colleges are scrutinizing their program names and titles, fearing they may conflict with new directives from the Trump administration targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Recent orders from the White House have prohibited DEI policies in federally funded programs, which is a significant concern as many higher education institutions depend on federal funds for research grants, projects, and contracts. As schools navigate this landscape, some are opting for silence out of uncertainty or apprehension. Former President Donald Trump has called for investigations into universities with substantial endowments, further intensifying the atmosphere of fear and caution among educational leaders.
Conversely, certain institutions have pledged to uphold their commitments. The president of Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts institution in Massachusetts, expressed hope that her colleagues in higher education will resist succumbing to Trump’s ideological framework. Danielle Holley believes the president’s orders are susceptible to legal challenges. “Anything that is done to simply disguise what we’re doing is not helpful,” remarked Holley, who is Black. “It validates this notion that our values are wrong. And I don’t believe that the value of saying we live in a multiracial democracy is wrong.”
Trump has contended that DEI initiatives equate to discrimination. During his campaign, he suggested imposing fines on colleges for maintaining diversity programs, potentially costing them their entire endowment. Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that dismantled affirmative action in higher education has already limited colleges’ ability to pursue diversity. Nonetheless, many colleges maintain their dedication to recruiting students of color and aiding all students in succeeding, even if the strategies or terminology used evolve.
Northeastern University has rebranded its former “Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” to “Belonging in Northeastern,” describing this as a “reimagined approach” that encompasses the whole university community. Renata Nyul, a spokesperson for the university, emphasized, “While internal structures and approaches may need to be adjusted, the university’s core values don’t change. We believe that embracing our differences — and building a community of belonging — makes Northeastern stronger.”
The new directives have created a chilling impact across many campuses, as stated by Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. She noted that institutions are proactively reevaluating courses, programs, and even administrative roles, suggesting that the long-term implications of these alterations could be significant for both the education system and the greater workforce.
Some changes lie beyond the control of universities. At Rutgers University, Professor Marybeth Gasman received a notification on January 23 stating that a planned conference focused on student internships would need to be canceled. Funding from the Department of Labor had been allocated for DEI initiatives, which were now on hold, leaving around 100 expected attendees from historically Black colleges and universities disappointed. Gasman, who oversees Rutgers’ Center for Minority Serving Institutions, described this turn of events as “a punch in the gut,” highlighting the need to secure additional funding to complete projects relating to a $575,000 grant.
In addition to evaluating their own policies, many colleges and faculty members are concerned about research funding. Recently, the White House suspended federal grants and loans for an ideological review aimed at eliminating progressive initiatives. Although the administration reversed this decision, uncertainty looms regarding future funding for research associated with diversity issues.
Cameron Jones, a professor at California Polytechnic, voiced worries about his $150,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant meant to study the history of African descendants in early California. Despite the grant not being categorized as a DEI initiative, he remains apprehensive about its implications for his work and for students of color. “We’re worried that even indirect pressure might lead administrators to back off on programs that benefit students of color and first-generation students,” he explained.
Students have already begun noticing the effects of DEI limitations in several Republican-led states. In Oklahoma, Shanisty Whittington, a political science student at Rose State College, reflects on a noticeable shift in campus culture, describing anxiety around free expression and prevailing confusion. The state’s restrictions have led to the discontinuation of a networking initiative for female students interested in political careers. Whittington has also faced challenges securing internships at the statehouse despite her applications.
She expressed the need for supportive tools to navigate her career path, stating, “It would be great to have a tool that would help me be able to kind of get into that world and start introducing myself to people and getting to know them.”
Sheldon Fields recalls a similar scenario during his post-doctoral studies in the early 2000s when conservative pressures threatened federally funded research aimed at AIDS/HIV prevention. Instead of giving up, he and his colleagues found innovative ways to continue their work without compromising the mission. Fields, now the president of the National Black Nursing Association and associate dean for equity and inclusion at Penn State University, noted that these challenges don’t deter dedicated professionals. “People have spent their entire careers working on certain areas,” he explained. “They’re not going to completely abandon them.”
