The White House announced that U.S. President Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday, August 7, requiring universities to collect admissions data to demonstrate that they are not adjusting the composition of student bodies based on race.
This move is the latest effort by the Trump administration to push for the abolition of affirmative action policies in university admissions. The Trump administration has initiated dozens of investigations and warned of cutting funding to universities that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
The memorandum signed by Trump pointed out that despite a 2023 Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action in university admissions, some universities are still taking measures to circumvent the Court’s decision by relying on applicants’ “diversity statements,” which may indicate a student’s race. The White House now requires universities to prove they are complying with the Supreme Court’s decision.
The U.S. Department of Education stated that Education Secretary Linda McMahon has instructed the National Center for Education Statistics to collect relevant data from universities, including applicants, admitted students, and all enrolled undergraduate students’ racial and gender data.
However, the American Council on Education, the largest higher education policy and lobbying organization in the United States, pointed out that the language of the memorandum signed by Trump is ambiguous. The nonprofit organization representing 1,600 member schools also stated that the White House’s request for universities to collect data on student race may be illegal as universities do not have the capability to collect such data and it could violate the Supreme Court’s decision on ending affirmative action.
Jonathan Fansmith, Senior Vice President of the American Council on Education, said, “You cannot consider race in admissions, so schools will not be collecting data on race from applicants.”
(Translated from an article referenced from Reuters)