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On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at US universities, which he perceives as ‘liberal opponents to his political agenda.’ He has mandated increased scrutiny of American colleges and the accrediting bodies that oversee them. According to a report by the Associated Press, this executive order is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate ‘wokeness’ and diversity initiatives in education, as well as to reform higher education institutions across the nation.
Among the signed orders, one mandates stricter enforcement of a law that requires colleges to disclose their financial relationships with foreign entities, while another calls for a reorganization of the accrediting agencies that determine the eligibility of colleges for student financial aid. Concerns regarding financial ties between colleges and foreign sources, particularly from adversarial nations like China, have long been a priority for Republicans.
Trump initially focused on this issue during his first term, and it resurfaced last week amid heightened tensions with Harvard University. The White House indicated that this action was necessary due to violations of a federal disclosure law by Harvard and other institutions, a law that was enacted in the 1980s but has seen inconsistent enforcement.
Trump has instructed the education department and the attorney general to take stringent measures against institutions that breach Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which mandates that colleges disclose foreign gifts or contracts exceeding $250,000. The order emphasizes the Trump administration’s goal to eliminate the secrecy surrounding foreign funding in US educational institutions and to safeguard them from foreign exploitation.
The executive measures received positive feedback from various Republican legislators, including Tim Walberg from Michigan, who serves as the chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
