Federal DEI Policy Developments

EDUCAUSE has recently taken several actions in light of federal policy developments, in particular when they are antithetical to our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

We are an active member of the Washington Higher Education Secretariat (WHES), a group of key higher education associations, and we work closely with members of this group to advocate for higher education across the federal government.

Key steps we have taken include the following:

• Leading higher education association comments to Congress calling for improved student computer and broadband access through the pandemic. The consequences of COVID-19 have highlighted persistent equity issues in terms of student access to personal computers and broadband.
• Pushing back on efforts by the US Department of Education to turn Princeton University's public discussion of systemic racism into a regulatory compliance issue. Please see our recent co-signed letter. The department's actions seem designed to chill a renewed commitment by colleges and universities to publicly accept responsibility and publicly commit to action. EDUCAUSE is proud to stand with higher education associations calling for the department to change course and support institutions and with the community in addressing racial injustice.
• Supporting a lawsuit to block efforts to force international students out of the United States. EDUCAUSE joined and provided financial support for a legal brief filed by over 70 higher education associations that backed Harvard University's successful lawsuit to block the Trump Administration's efforts to force international students out of the country if their institutions switched to fully remote instruction as a result of the pandemic.
• Participating in broad-based community briefs. These briefs support the continuation of diversity in institutional admissions policies and the lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court's reversal of efforts to eliminate DACA.
• Watching developments on the latest executive order restricting some diversity training. Together with our WHES partners, we are carefully monitoring developments related to the Trump Administration's latest executive order, a problematic attempt to forbid certain kinds of diversity training in a way that could impact all institutions that receive federal grants and contracts. It remains unclear at this time what real-world effects, if any, the order's provisions could have. Federal agencies still don't yet have a handle on its requirements, and legal analyses continue to take shape. EDUCAUSE is ready to join the higher education community as a whole in challenging this action as needed.

Please be sure to follow the EDUCAUSE Review Policy Spotlight for news on continuing policy developments.

John O'Brien is President and CEO of EDUCAUSE.