Trump's Trials - More than 50 universities under investigation as part of Trump's anti-DEI crackdown

Episode Date: March 17, 2025

More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of Trump's campaign to end DEI programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian students.Support NPR and hear every episode sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Trump's Terms from NPR. I'm Scott Dettroth. We're going to be doing all sorts of things nobody ever thought was even possible. It's going to be a very aggressive first hundred days of the new Congress. An unpredictable, transformative next four years. The United States is going to take off like a rocket ship. Each episode we bring you NPR's coverage of President Trump acting on his own terms. And that means sometimes doing things that no American president has tried before. NPR is covering it all in stories like the one you are about to hear right after this.

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I'm Leila Faldon. The Trump administration is investigating dozens of colleges and universities, accusing some of using race-based programs and others of failing to rein in anti-Semitism. Columbia University has perhaps faced the most scrutiny. The administration sent a letter requesting unprecedented control at the university

over things like discipline policies and academic programs. And Biazis and Nadwarni is here to explain. Good morning. Good morning, Leila. Okay, so let's start with this letter that the Trump administration sent to Columbia University. What was in it? So the letter demands that the university makes several dramatic changes, including implementing stricter student discipline policies like expulsion and multi-year suspension, reimagining admissions. And this is the one that put a lot of free speech scholars really on alert.

It said they wanted to place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under quote academic receivership for a minimum of five years. Now the letter doesn't explain why and a lot of these bullet points are very vague. But all of these were described in the letter as conditions for receiving federal funding and necessary for reissuing the $400 million in federal grants that the administration canceled over allegations that Columbia had failed to police anti-Semitism on campus. And what's been the reaction? A Columbia University spokesman said in an email to NPR that school officials were reviewing the letter.

They said they're, quote, committed to advancing the school's mission, supporting students, and addressing all forms of discrimination and hatred on campus. I talked about the federal government weighing in on this level with Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, which represents most colleges in the US. Without the independence to be able to create and produce a wide-ranging academic program, we lose academic freedom. We lose the ability to challenge some of the most fundamental shibboleths in society. And Leila, it's worth noting that the federal government

has almost never used its authority to cut off money from schools and colleges. And it's not just Columbia, right? That's right. Trump has said colleges that don't get in line with his administration's priorities, like eliminating research related to being transgender or having diversity and inclusion programs, they may also lose federal funding. On Friday, his administration announced investigations into 52 universities as part of this DEI crackdown. The majority of those colleges, which include schools like the University of Kansas and the University of Utah, they partnered with a small nonprofit called the PhD Project that helps students from underrepresented groups earn doctoral degrees in business. The Education of Utah, they partnered with a small nonprofit called the PhD Project that helps students

from underrepresented groups earn doctoral degrees in business. The Education Department alleges the program limits eligibility based on race, and so colleges involved are engaging in race exclusionary practices. So how are universities handling all this? So Lynn Pascarella, the president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, has been talking to administrators the last few days. They're feeling believed. They're feeling overwhelmed. They feel like they are being coerced into making decisions they believe are unethical,

but they have no choice. So there's a deep sense of moral distress. You know, this week college leaders are going program by program to make sure they're abiding by the administration's rules and guidance. And honestly, Laila, they're watching what's happening at Columbia and they're worried they may be next. That's a listen, NAD warning. Thanks for this, Laila.

You bet. Before we wrap up, a reminder, you can find more coverage of the Trump administration on the NPR Politics Podcast, where you can hear NPR's political reporters break down the day's biggest political news with new episodes every weekday afternoon. And thanks, as always, to our NPR Plus supporters who hear every episode of the show without sponsor messages. You can learn more at plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's Terms from NPR. Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation,

working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all, on the web at theschmidt.org.