A small virtual conference sponsored by Jobs for the Future was planned for Jan. 30.
The Rutgers University Center for Minority Serving Institutions announced Thursday that it has canceled an upcoming conference on enrollment programs due to President Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“We are very excited to bring you the HBCUs and Registered Apprenticeship Mini-Conference next week,” said an email sent to registered attendees. “Unfortunately, due to President Trump’s Executive Orders … we have been asked to cease all work under the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility HUB at Jobs for the Future, sponsored by the US Department of Labor.”
Jobs for the Future, an organization focused on helping college leaders and employers create equitable economic outcomes for students, has a national innovation center focused on improving access to formal education for women, people of color and other underrepresented groups.
Located in New Jersey, a blue-chip state for more than 30 years, Rutgers has not faced pressure from state lawmakers to disband DEI. But the repeal shows the power and leverage the federal government can wield over colleges and universities by threatening to pull funding from programs that don’t meet the president’s demands.
It’s just the kind of reaction higher ed policy experts and DEI advocates are predicting as a result of the Republican agenda.
“This caution and kind of early compliance with the law, even if the threats are not direct from the federal or state government, may be the whole thing,” said Brendan Cantwell, a professor of education at Michigan State University, told. Within Higher Ed.
“These leaders will worry about losing their federal funding, which is exactly what DEI’s opponents want,” added Shaun Harper, professor of education, business and public policy; founder of the University of Southern California’s Center on Race and Equity; as well as Within Higher Ed contributor of ideas.
More cancellations are expected in the coming weeks and months as the Trump administration continues to issue executive orders. For example, Trump’s growing team at the Department of Education announced a series of actions Thursday related to ending DEI.
“The Department has removed or archived large amounts of guidance documents, reports, and training materials that include mention of DEI on its external communication channels. [and] We have placed the staff charged with leading the DEI on paid administrative leave,” agency officials said in a news release. “These actions are consistent with President Trump’s continued commitment to end illegal discrimination and waste in the federal government. They are the first step in redirecting agency toward prioritizing meaningful learning before divisive views in our schools. “
Other actions the department has taken include:
- The dissolution of the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Council.
- Terminate the Council on Labor Relations and Equal Access within the Office of Civil Rights.
- Canceling ongoing DEI training and service contracts totaling more than $2.6 million.
- Repeal of the department’s Equity Action Plan, which was issued in 2023 to comply with former president Joe Biden’s executive order to advance racial equity and support for underserved communities.
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