American institutions of higher education are facing a much-needed reckoning.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates, race-based hiring, and safe spaces are just a few of the noxious turns that have become the standard in American colleges and universities in recent times.
Examples of universities practicing preferential treatment are countless. John Sailer, director of higher education policy at the Manhattan Institute, reports on a faculty job rubric he obtained from the University of Texas at San Antonio, which listed “female/URM” (underrepresented minority) as a scoring category.
Similarly, in an email he received from Northern Illinois University, a computer science professor shared the department’s search committee evaluation rubric, which scored applicants on their “diversity” and awarded points for those who were “non-male or non-caucasian.”
But change is afoot.
On July 29, the Department of Justice sent a letter to all federal grant recipients reaffirming a core principle of American civil rights law: discrimination is illegal. The nine-page missive, signed by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, lists several practices that constitute unlawful discrimination—many of which are common in higher education.
Shortly thereafter, a memo signed by President Trump instructed colleges receiving federal funding to submit admissions data to the Education Department to ensure they comply with the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Supreme Court decision. Colleges are already required to provide specific data about the students they enroll. Now, they must also submit detailed information about those who apply.
The memo declares that “the lack of available admissions data from universities—paired with the rampant use of ‘diversity statements’ and other overt and hidden racial proxies—continues to raise concerns about whether race is actually used in admissions decisions in practice.”
The memo also states, “American students, parents, and taxpayers should have confidence that our nation’s higher education institutions are recruiting and training our next generations with fairness and integrity.”
While universities have succeeded in social engineering and indoctrination, they have fallen short academically. California State University, Northridge (CSUN), a campus in the extensive CSU system, is a prime example.
While CSUN ranks number one in the western U.S. for diversity, it has a meager six-year graduation rate of 54% and an even more pathetic four-year graduation rate of 17%.
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