The United States Department of Education released a letter Friday outlining college and university responsibilities to remove the consideration of race in campus activities and operations.

On Friday, February 14, the United States Department of Education wrote a letter to institutions calling on them to end taking race into account for all aspects of “student, academic, or campus life,” or risk losing crucial federal funding. The announcement built on a 2023 Supreme Court ruling Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which effectively got rid of race consideration and affirmative action policies in college admissions.

The letter claimed that schools had used the guise of “DEI” to violate Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by considering race in any aspect. This is a different interpretation of the Civil Rights Act from previous years, which had been focused on creating equal opportunities for minority groups who had been historically disadvantaged. The letter wrote that considering race in factors like “financial aid, hiring, training” and more was a “shameful echo of a darker period” in American history. Citing the Supreme Court precedent from Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the letter stated, “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.” 

The Department of Education is giving colleges and universities 14 days from Friday to review their policies to ensure none consider race, or risk losing federal funding. It especially cites that universities should stop using third parties, events, or spaces in order to find a way to still recognize race. Actions that would fall under this umbrella are things such as separate graduations, dorms, and “other facilities” that are race-or ethnicity-specific. Columbia College and SEAS both have multiple “multicultural” graduation celebrations, as well as things such as Alpha Phi Alpha, an African American fraternity. The Department of Education has provided no guidance as to whether these groups and events will still be permissible.

Columbia and Barnard have not officially released statements regarding this letter, or future plans.

This is a developing story. Bwog has reached out to University administration for comment and will post updates as new information emerges.

Department of Education via Bwog Archives