MSU reviews DEI programs to comply with Trump’s executive order
Michigan State University administrators are reviewing their programs to eliminate DEI initiatives that could violate President Trump’s executive order.
The university risks losing hundreds of millions in federal funding if it does not comply, as the Department of Education has warned enforcement will begin soon.
The Michigan State University (MSU) administration recently started a review of its programs to ensure that it does not have any Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that would violate President Trump’s anti-DEI executive order.
Two MSU officials, General Counsel Brian Quinn and Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko, sent a letter to various officers within the university administration on Feb. 18 to review the school’s existing “programs and activities” and ensure federal compliance according to The Lansing State Journal.
If the school is found not to comply with President Trump’s order, it could lose hundreds of millions of dollars, as noted by the outlet.
On Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Education sent a notice to universities throughout the country urging them to remove DEI and stating that enforcement would begin “no later than 14 days” later, meaning by Feb. 28.
“Proponents of these discriminatory practices have attempted to further justify them—particularly during the last four years—under the banner of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion,’ smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline,” the letter states.
“But under any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal,” the notice continues.
In a statement provided to Campus Reform, MSU spokesperson Amber McCann said that the school administration is confident that it is operating within the law.
“Michigan State University feels confident we are continuing to operate within federal and state laws in the way we educate students, hire new employees and provide ongoing support for multiple stakeholders,” McCann stated.
“The Department of Education’s letter dated Feb. 14, references that ‘all students are entitled to a school environment free from discrimination,’” McCann concluded. “MSU agrees with that statement and has been operating in and will continue to operate with that guidance.”
Similarly, the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing took down its DEI page following the executive order. Previously, a DEI statement described the school as being “built on diversity.”
The University of Notre Dame also recently revised its DEI webpage, eliminating some references to the controversial ideology; the page now reads “We Are All Notre Dame.”
