Student Union
Foreign Students Unlikely to Be Affected by Loss of Diversity Policy
A Trump administration recommendation that colleges and universities ignore race in the admissions process is unlikely to impact international students, educators say.
"I don't think that it's going to have much, if any, impact on international students," said Scott Schneider, a New Orleans-based higher education lawyer.
"We don't see the forthcoming guidance as having any impact on our policies or as causing us to change our practices," New York University spokesman John Beckman said.
Most schools do not include international students in their diversity statistics. Ethnicity is typically listed as African-American or Hispanic-American, for example, not Nigerian or Pakistani.
"College administrators frequently code the race/ethnicity of foreign nationals simply as 'foreign' without specifying a race group," a 2004 study from Princeton University found.
Kennedy program
Affirmative action started in the 1960s when President John F. Kennedy directed government programs to ensure that people of all races were treated equally. Colleges and universities began recruiting racial minority students to ensure campus diversity. But educators and others argued that economic background, race and gender affected how students performed in school, especially on standardized tests.
Studies show that students from mainly white and prosperous communities test and perform better than students in poorer, racially diverse neighborhoods. White males in wealthier school districts perform better in math than other students, such as females and minorities, according to a recent study by Stanford University.
Former President Barack Obama reaffirmed affirmative action when he issued policy that guided schools to use race in deciding college and university admissions between 2011 and 2016. President Donald Trump's new guidelines reverse those policies.
Since affirmative action was established, nonminority students have questioned whether the policies equaled reverse discrimination. A student's chances should be based on merit, they argue. Others argue that economic background should be considered to enhance diversity outside race.
"Higher education should promote diversity and inclusion, which includes racial diversity," said Esther Brimmer, executive director of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. "Colleges and universities have found many different ways to do so."
The specific guidelines and enforcement of the new Trump policies remain murky, lawyer Schneider said.
"Let's wait and see what the guidance is going to say, No. 1, and No. 2, will the change in policy also be coupled with a change in enforcement priorities?" Schneider asked.
Federal aid
Under the new guidelines, if schools continue to consider race in their admissions process, their federal funding could be pulled — including money for financial aid, which would increase the financial burden students bear, Schneider said.
He explained that, if schools disagree with the guidelines, they could sue. But that is unlikely, he said, because federal funding is threatened. "Most schools just go, 'We'll sign the consent decree.'"
The removal of guidelines on the use of race in admissions affects all levels of education, not just college.
A news release from the departments of Education and Justice calls for removing guidance formerly used to explain the legal framework that governs the use of race in elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools.
The documents were removed because they are "inconsistent with governing principles for agency guidance documents," according to the news release.
"This is an extraordinarily cynical move by Secretary [of Education Betsy] DeVos," said Gina Chirichigno, director of the National Coalition on School Diversity. DeVos "knows that taking down the guidance doesn't change the law in any way, but it is likely to confuse school districts that are trying to comply with the law."
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
