As educators interpret recent executive orders and Department of Education guidance regarding DEI, the UC system responds and provides system-wide guidance for students
By KHADEEJAH KHAN – campus@theaggie.org
A “Dear Colleague” letter from the United States Department of Education on Feb. 14 threatened federal funding for schools’ race specific programs, including scholarships, financial aid, dormitory floors and graduation ceremonies. Now, as community members are interpreting the impact of new guidelines, the University of California has provided systemwide guidance.
The letter followed President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order, which called for the termination of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) and environmental justice positions, describing them as “illegal and immoral.”
“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” the letter reads. “The Department will vigorously enforce the law on equal terms as to all preschool, elementary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, as well as state educational agencies that receive financial assistance.”
While the “Dear Colleague” letter followed the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision which barred the use of race in admissions decisions, this letter targets programs not included in the 2023 ruling, including dormitory floors, graduation ceremonies and scholarships.
UC Davis Education Professor Michal Kurlaender described the letter as “overreach on the interpretation” of the 2023 Supreme Court decision. Kurlaender’s work focuses on ways to make the pathway into college more equitable amidst racial and socioeconomic inequity. She said that racial affinity programs are one step closer to achieving that equity.
“While we might think college is just about taking classes and completing, it turns out, it is not,” Kurlaender said. “Students experience college in a number of ways, and they need to feel psychological safety. They need to feel like they can navigate the complex system with deadlines and fees and any number, registration and constraints administrative burdens. They also want to feel like they see themselves in the curriculum.”
Kurlaender said students from historically marginalized backgrounds pursuing higher education, often coming from unequal K-12 environments, frequently experience imposter syndrome and isolation. While California’s K-12 student population is 80% students of color, Kurlaender noted that same diversity is often not represented in higher education environments. She believes it is essential to protect aspects of student life, including the beginning of the student experience through themed dormitory floors, all the way to their graduation to “celebrate the accomplishment of completion.”
At UC Davis, the Center for Chicanx and Latinx Academic Student Success, Center for African Diaspora Student Success, Native American Academic Student Success Center, Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian Student Resources and more have held graduation ceremonies celebrating graduating students from various communities. These centers will continue to hold their 2025 graduation ceremonies according to their websites.
A Feb. 20 statement signed by UC President Michael Drake responded to the “Dear Colleague” letter.
“We encourage UC staff to continue with their work in alignment with all applicable state and federal laws,” the statement reads. “We will continue to ensure that every Californian has the opportunity to join the UC community and feels welcome at our campuses. We are committed to ensuring that our campuses benefit from the talents and aspirations of all, as we create a vibrant workforce for future generations.”
On March 7, the UC Office of the President (UCOP) released an FAQ page addressing how DEI might be impacted at the UC.
When asked whether or not the UC is planning to scale back or eliminate DEI efforts or positions, the FAQ page states that “UC remains fully committed to equal opportunity and broad participation in its education, employment and contracting opportunities,” in compliance with Article 1, Section 31 of the California Constitution. In regards to DEI titles, the statement wrote that for staff employees the job titles on UC Career Tracks may be updated, while academic job titles will remain the same.
In response to questions regarding outreach and pipeline programming by race and sex, the UC will continue to use informational outreach strategies for those groups, with the programming being accessible to all students. Individual campus departments offering courses or programming “related to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging” can continue to do so “as long as those programs are open and available to all,” according to the UCOP website. These programs include Ethnic Studies departments, speaker series, research institutes and more.
The statement also addressed affinity-based registered student organizations (RSOs), offering support to RSOs who continued to comply with current student organization rules and regulations, as well as being accessible to all students. The same applies to resource programs and centers for specific identity groups, according to the statement.
“UC must – and will be expected to – continue to advance equal opportunity and combat discrimination in all forms in alignment with federal and state law and University non-discrimination policies,” the statement reads. “UC will continue to take steps to ensure safe, inclusive and respectful UC communities for all groups. This includes developing programs and services that support a healthy campus climate, reinforce our values and bridge and improve intergroup relations in order to enhance overall employee and student experience, safety and well-being.”
Written by: Khadeejah Khan – campus@theaggie.org
