President Donald Trump has listed the University of Cincinnati as one of the institutions that may be the subject of an investigation for its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives. There are also six other schools and institutions in Kentucky and Ohio.
Over the past few decades, a large number of organizations, including corporations and educational institutions, have embraced DEI norms and guidelines to support the success of previously underrepresented groups and to make sure individuals from all backgrounds feel accepted and welcome.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion was established in 1970 at Ohio State University to support “the recruitment, retention and success of students, faculty and staff who enhance the diversity” of the school.
This institution may also be the subject of Trump’s investigation efforts to halt DEI. In addition to various mentorship and retention initiatives, the office manages a cultural center and minority participation and scholarship programs.
“Decades of research have shown that diversity, nurtured in a welcoming and respectful environment, encourages critical thinking, reduces harmful stereotypes and strengthens the ability to communicate, work and play across lines of identity and difference,” according to the office’s website.
However, these anti-discrimination initiatives are seen by Trump and many of his supporters as dangers to the American ideal.
The nation’s colleges and universities, as well as huge enterprises, financial institutions, the medical industry, large commercial airlines, and law enforcement agencies, were all ordered to stop “illegal discrimination” and restore “merit-based opportunity” by Trump on his second day in office.
These sectors, according to Trump, “have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) or ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) that can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation.”
Trump ordered each federal agency to choose up to nine “potential civil compliance investigations” into corporations, nonprofits, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, bar and medical associations, and higher education institutions with endowments exceeding $1 billion. He also ordered all federal agencies to discontinue any DEI policies, programs, guidance, and activities that support DEI.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the University of Cincinnati has a $1.8 billion endowment.
Other universities in Ohio and Kentucky that have endowments of at least $1 billion include:
- Berea College
- Case Western Reserve University
- Denison University
- Oberlin College and Conservatory
- Ohio State University
- University of Kentucky
The attorney general has four months to submit a report to Trump’s administration that includes these investigations and other details.
The report would include “recommendations for enforcing Federal civil-rights laws” as well as additional actions “to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI,” according to Trump’s order.
On Friday, University of Cincinnati President Neville Pinto wrote to employees and professors about “state and federal policy announcements from recent days” that, if implemented, “could significantly impact higher education.”
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According to Pinto, he meets frequently with colleagues at the state and federal levels as well as his executive leadership team “to monitor the situation.”
“Together, we will ensure we are prepared to follow the law and continue to meet our mission as a public university,” Pinto stated.
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“We recognize that many have concerns, and we hear you,” Pinto said in his message to the campus community. “We are assessing developments in real time, and we will communicate with you when and where appropriate. Meanwhile, I hope you will join me as we remain focused on our priority to serve our students and prepare the next generation of society’s leaders.”
According to University of Kentucky spokesman Whitney Siddiqi, school employees “are monitoring changing federal policies” and the university will continue to abide by state and federal laws.
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