Trump Administration's Guide: Donald J. Trump Advances Openness in University Entrance Procedures
In a significant move towards accountability and reform in higher education, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum in January 2025. The Memorandum directs the Secretary of Education to require transparency in admissions practices, end discriminatory race-based admissions, and advance reforms in the education sector.
Ensuring Accountability in Admissions Practices
The Memorandum instructs institutions to provide detailed and accurate admissions data through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is tasked with modifying IPEDS to ensure better data collection and presentation. Institutions must submit data in a timely manner and ensure its accuracy, or face remedial action from the Secretary of Education.
Ending Discriminatory Race-Based Admissions
Given the Supreme Court's ruling that race cannot be a factor in admissions, institutions must ensure their practices align with these legal standards. Institutions should be vigilant about avoiding "overt and hidden racial proxies" in their admissions processes. By making admissions criteria and processes transparent, institutions can demonstrate fairness and integrity, which helps build public trust and confidence.
Advancing Reforms in Higher Education
The Memorandum calls for technological upgrades to IPEDS, which will enhance data collection and presentation, facilitating better oversight and decision-making. Institutions should focus on fostering diversity and inclusivity through lawful means that do not involve race-based admissions practices. Institutions must work closely with federal agencies to ensure compliance with new regulations and to provide feedback on the effectiveness of these reforms.
President Trump's directives aim to promote fairness, transparency, and inclusivity in admissions processes. The Memorandum will provide the public with a more holistic view of the factors institutions consider in admissions. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that consideration of race in higher education admissions violates students' civil rights.
In addition, President Trump secured settlements with Columbia University and Brown University that include agreements for the universities to provide access to all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with their commitments to merit-based hiring and admissions. The Administration successfully negotiated a resolution with the University of Pennsylvania to keep men out of women's sports and restore the trophies and records of women.
The Memorandum requires higher education institutions to submit data necessary to verify that their admissions do not involve unlawful discrimination. The Secretary of Education is directed to take remedial action if institutions fail to submit data in a timely manner or submit incomplete or inaccurate data. These steps mark a significant shift towards ensuring fairness and accountability in higher education admissions in the United States.
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