We-Ha.com will be publishing a series of essays/blogs/reflections on the issue of going to college – primarily a set of thoughts and musings, along with some practical advice, intended to support students and parents as they embark on this journey. While many of our readers are experts in this topic, many others are less knowledgeable and have little outside support. We hope this is helpful to all readers as they go through the various stages of getting into and getting something out of college.

Adrienne Leinwand Maslin. Courtesy photo

By Adrienne Leinwand Maslin

In case you’re losing count, this is the third installment of Trump 2.0 as it relates to higher education.

The first, in January, was called “What Can We Expect for Higher Education Under Trump 2.0?” The second, in February, was titled “Dear Colleague … A Letter From The United States Department Of Education’s Office For Civil Rights.” This one, well, you can see it for yourselves. Never, even in my most depressing and anxiety-laden dreams, did I think I’d be writing so many of these, or so many so early in the administration. And these reviews are complicated by the fact that policies and facts (facts?) change daily. It’s kind of like one of Dorothy’s famous lines from The Wizard of Oz: “My! People come and go so quickly here!” People, policies, facts, oh my!

The issue that prompted my last article was the threat of the withdrawal of federal funding from K-12 schools and colleges and universities unless diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives were examined and possibly eliminated based on an interpretation of the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. I have learned more about this specific concern and I will try to clarify some of the questions that have been raised.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has indicated that the words diversity, equity, and inclusion do not have to be scrubbed from an institution’s website or other documents. The concern is whether students are being treated differently because of their race. According to the Frequently Asked Questions put out by OCR:

Whether a policy or program violates Title VI does not depend on the use of specific terminology such as “diversity,” “equity,” or “inclusion.” Schools may not operate policies or programs under any name that treat students differently based on race, engage in racial stereotyping, or create hostile environments for students of particular races. For example, schools with programs focused on interests in particular cultures, heritages, and areas of the world would not in and of themselves violate Title VI, assuming they are open to all students regardless of race. Nor would educational, cultural, or historical observances – such as Black History Month, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or similar events – that celebrate or recognize historical events and contributions, and promote awareness, so long as they do not engage in racial exclusion or discrimination. However, schools must consider whether any school programming discourages members of all races from attending, either by excluding or discouraging students of a particular race or races, or by creating hostile environments based on race for students who do participate (https://www.ed.gov/media/document/frequently-asked-questions-about-racial-preferences-and-stereotypes-under-title-vi-of-civil-rights-act-109530.pdf).

If the above clarifies a piece of the picture for you, it does not entirely for me. It surprises me that our current Department of Education would allow the word “equity” at all. Equality, as you know, means treating everyone the same; equity refers to fairness and, sometimes, fairness does not always mean treating everyone the same.

I imagine we have all heard the classic description of equity in terms of three people of varying heights trying to view a baseball game from outside of a high fence. One person is fairly tall, another of medium height, and the last is short. Equality is giving each person a box to stand on. The tall person can see perfectly well without the box but is given one in the name of equality. The individual of medium height stands on their box and can now see the game! The short person, however, is still too short to see the action. Equity is taking the taller person’s box and giving it to the short person so all can see the game. In other words, each person getting what they need to be successful! Sometimes people need different things to achieve success. Therein lies the contradiction of the OCR response in the FAQ and the use of the word equity. Many colleges and universities have begun scrubbing such words from websites and college publications. Others are taking a wait and see attitude.

Many people I have spoken to are concerned that college presidents have been largely silent and have not spoken out about the ramifications of the “Dear Colleague” letter and other recent events related to higher education. (Connecticut’s own Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University, is a notable exception.) But, president’s are justifiably concerned about their own institutions and do not want to do anything that will shine a light on them, causing federal funds to be withdrawn. Such funds help pay for student financial aid and research programs that are critical to medical and other scientific advances that contribute to our own and the world’s health and safety.

The quick production of the COVID vaccine was the result of research that had already been underway with the assistance of government funding. Columbia University in New York has already been informed that $400 million in grants are being withdrawn. The university is presently trying to work with Secretary McMahon to have the funds reinstated but if that does not happen, the disruption to Columbia will be significant. Most colleges do not have the large endowment that Columbia and other elite institutions have, which will provide a small cushion if such actions occur.

It’s understandable why presidents want to remain in the shadows. Additionally, many colleges adopted neutrality policies during the Israel-Hamas war and are either reluctant to break the policy or are using the neutrality policy as an excuse for their remaining silent.

It is old news by now that in another Columbia University-related incident, a Palestinian student who recently completed a graduate degree program at the university was arrested and detained by ICE on Saturday, March 8, 2025. The arrest was for leading protests against the Israeli government during the early days of the Israel-Hamas war. The former student is a green card holder and is married to an American woman. A judge later blocked this order pending a hearing. And on March 13, 2025, the Trump administration told Columbia that, according to Inside Higher Ed:

If Columbia University wants a financial relationship with the federal government, the Ivy League institution will need to overhaul its discipline process, ban masks, expel some students, put an academic department under review, give its campus security “full law enforcement authority” and reform its admissions practices (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/03/14/trump-escalates-attack-columbia-his-latest-demands). A copy the the letter can be accessed here: (https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/6d3c124d8e20212d/85dec154-full.pdf).

Another Columbia University student who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, who has lived in this country since she was 7 years old and is a permanent resident, has since been detained as well.

These actions raise a whole host of other issues regarding first amendment rights and the autonomy of higher education which is necessary to a free society and are examples of the degree to which the administration will go to implement their agenda during Trump 2.0. And for those students who are considering not applying to or withdrawing their applications from Columbia University, Columbia is just today’s target.

By this time you know that President Trump signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the Department of Education. The order had been expected for several weeks but according to ABC News, the administration was concerned about the blowback from the education community and had not been prepared to respond to all the questions raised by the dismantling of the Department. The president’s objective is to turn education back to the states and local communities and turn some functions over to other agencies.

The Department of Education is the agency that oversees federal financial aid. According to a webinar sponsored by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the administration of financial aid might be given to the states. It is questionable, however, whether states have the ability to handle such a significant operation, at least in the short term, for all of the colleges and universities in that state.

It is unclear at this time whether policies affecting disabled students will stay intact. And while the Trump 2.0 saga will surely continue, it is my hope to share with you some information about current policies regarding rights and responsibilities of disabled students in my next column.

Adrienne Leinwand Maslin recently retired from a 45-year career in higher education administration. She has worked at public and private institutions, urban and rural, large and small, and two-year and four-year, and is Dean Emerita at CT State-Middlesex. She has held positions in admissions, affirmative action, president’s office, human resources, academic affairs, and student affairs. Adrienne has a BA from the University of Vermont, an MEd from Boston University, and a PhD from the University of Oregon. She is presently writing a series of graphic novels on life skills and social issues for 8-12 year olds believing that the more familiar youngsters are with important social issues the easier their transition to college and adulthood will be. Information about this series as well as contact information can be found at www.adrienneleinwandmaslin.com.

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