Dept of Ed Gives Schools Two Weeks to Eliminate Race-Based Programs

[Anonymous]

Has anyone posted on this yet?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/education-dept-race-based-programs.html

"The Education Department warned schools in a letter on Friday that they risked losing federal funding if they continued to take race into account when making scholarship or hiring decisions, or so much as nodded to race in “all other aspects of student, academic and campus life.”

I don't even know where to begin...I feel like I'm in that Harry Potter movie where the Ministry of Magic keeps issuing inane decrees

[Anonymous]

This is beyond getting rid of affirmative action. They are talking about ANY student activities related to race/DEI. No Asian or AA student unions. AA frats or sororities? What about women’s organizations? This is stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is beyond getting rid of affirmative action. They are talking about ANY student activities related to race/DEI. No Asian or AA student unions. AA frats or sororities? What about women’s organizations? This is stupid.

It's actually beyond stupid it's project 2025-dangerous.

[Anonymous]

It squelching freedom of association and assembly. Kinda authoritarian, and definitely contrary to the first amendment.

[Anonymous]

So administrators should now feel free to reject the mediocre white boys on their merits, instead of giving them an advantage based on their race. Finally! The Asian kids and black women are going to LOVE this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is beyond getting rid of affirmative action. They are talking about ANY student activities related to race/DEI. No Asian or AA student unions. AA frats or sororities? What about women’s organizations? This is stupid.

You don’t need any of those things. Just be inclusive to everyone.

[Anonymous]

I thought this bit was interesting:

It would, for instance, be unlawful
for an educational institution to eliminate standardized testing to achieve a desired
racial balance or to increase racial diversity.

[Anonymous]

My take—
Public universities: blind as to demographics
Private universities: should have to publish their acceptance methods publicly; and follow them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My take—
Public universities: blind as to demographics
Private universities: should have to publish their acceptance methods publicly; and follow them.

In other words, I think private universities, being private, should be able to design their acceptance policies along the lines they choose. But to mitigate it being imbalanced/unfair/utterly discriminatory, they should at least have to state their plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My take—
Public universities: blind as to demographics
Private universities: should have to publish their acceptance methods publicly; and follow them.

In other words, I think private universities, being private, should be able to design their acceptance policies along the lines they choose. But to mitigate it being imbalanced/unfair/utterly discriminatory, they should at least have to state their plan.

So if they publish the discrimination plan it’s no longer discriminatory?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone posted on this yet?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/education-dept-race-based-programs.html

"The Education Department warned schools in a letter on Friday that they risked losing federal funding if they continued to take race into account when making scholarship or hiring decisions, or so much as nodded to race in “all other aspects of student, academic and campus life.”

I don't even know where to begin...I feel like I'm in that Harry Potter movie where the Ministry of Magic keeps issuing inane decrees

So they are only leaving education to the states until they have banned all DEI and race-based programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So administrators should now feel free to reject the mediocre white boys on their merits, instead of giving them an advantage based on their race. Finally! The Asian kids and black women are going to LOVE this!

Maybe don't ask for race or gender on applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It squelching freedom of association and assembly. Kinda authoritarian, and definitely contrary to the first amendment.

Some of it will stand, some of it will fail. They're bringing the kitchen sink.

A full frontal assault.

The bullshit like they had with TJ was clearly motivated by race, at least in part and will probably have to change.

The new essay prompts that the colleges had inviting people to talk about their identity will probably disappear.

If the dept of education is going to start scrutinizing admissions more closely, it doesn't seem like a good way of sitting it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is beyond getting rid of affirmative action. They are talking about ANY student activities related to race/DEI. No Asian or AA student unions. AA frats or sororities? What about women’s organizations? This is stupid.

You don’t need any of those things. Just be inclusive to everyone.

The AA students associations are in fact open to everyone. There were always a few non Asians in the membership. There is no "Asians only" requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So administrators should now feel free to reject the mediocre white boys on their merits, instead of giving them an advantage based on their race. Finally! The Asian kids and black women are going to LOVE this!

Maybe don't ask for race or gender on applications.

They don't have access to that data until after the admissions season is over. They use proxies.