Throughout President Donald Trump’s first month back in office, he has signed dozens of Executive Orders, including those on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and threats to cut funding for education nationwide. With the future still unclear on these actions, Sacred Heart University, along with many other educational institutions, finds themselves trying to make a plan to move forward lawfully, while still upholding their values.
Source: Pool via AP
Executive Order 14151 to end “radical and wasteful” DEI programs and preferences in the federal government offered agency, department and commission heads 60 days to “terminate to the maximum extent allowed by law all DEI, DEIA and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions, action plans, equity-related grants or contracts as well as end all DEI or DEIA performance requirements,” according to the Associated Press. It also affected grantees who received funding to provide or advance DEI programs, services or activities, which is where universities fall into this order.
Executive Order 14173, titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” aims to remove many equal employment opportunity orders, dating as far back as 1965. This order claims that DEI policies “undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system.”
“There’s an overexaggerated concept that somehow DEI means race-based discrimination,” said Brian Stiltner, Ph.D, professor of theology and religious studies and Secretary of SHU’s American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter. “So much of DEI is not about preferring one group over another, it’s just trying to encourage everyone who’s eligible to apply.”
These orders already began affecting the SHU community, with a $3.38 million dollar U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant being rescinded on Feb. 14, as the Spectrum previously reported. Nationwide, TQP grants were pulled for a total of $600 million, according to Deb Noack, SHU’s Executive Director of Communications. Students were informed through an email from university President Dr. John Petillo.
“We immediately informed our representatives, and many have responded. They are working with us to determine if there is any action we can take to reverse this decision,” the email read. “We will continue exploring alternative solutions and advocating for the resources that our students and faculty deserve.”
“I think that the recent cancellation of that grant to Sacred Heart is a perfect example of these things we’re worried about; a misunderstanding of DEI and a very ineffectual approach to managing budget is just creating disruptions on programs that are really good for all citizens,” Stiltner said.
In a series of emails since Feb. 3, Petillo has encouraged the SHU community to uphold the university’s mission and culture in the wake of these events. The most recent email, on Feb. 17, addressed a letter from the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights threatening cuts to federal funding, should educational institutions not comply with the removal of DEI decisions and policies. As of Feb. 18, the Trump administration gave schools and universities two weeks to carry this out, according to the Associated Press.
Universities typically rely on federal funding through the Department of Education for research grants, projects and contract work. Linda McMahon, a SHU Board of Trustees member with a Student Commons and dining hall named after her, is Trump’s nominee for the Department’s Secretary. Her confirmation hearing was held on Feb. 13, though she has yet to be approved by the full Senate.
“[President Trump] pledged to make American education the best in the world, return education to the states where it belongs, and free American students from the education bureaucracy through school choice,” she said in her opening statement.
“November proved that Americans overwhelmingly support the president’s vision, and I am ready to enact it,” McMahon added in the hearing.
At the hearing, the CTMirror reported that U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D–Conn., used his time to press McMahon on Trump’s DEI policies, expressing that institutions are struggling to decide if they are violating them. Following the hearing, Murphy confirmed in a press conference that he would be voting “no” to her nomination, despite voting in her favor to lead the Small Business Administration in 2017 for Trump’s first term.
McMahon’s close ties to Sacred Heart bring an extra weight to these issues, as noted by Christel Manning, Ph.D, professor of theology and religious studies and President of SHU’s AAUP chapter.
“Linda McMahon sort of adds to the picture of putting us in a unique position. I think that Sacred Heart University, depending on how this plays out, could possibly be in the media spotlight because of that,” Manning said. “This is an opportunity for us to show leadership on how to act with integrity. And if we want to do that, it’s really important for us as a community here at Sacred Heart to work together to formulate a unified response and to really stand together no matter how this plays out.”
However, Manning is troubled by the implications that come with these federal policies.
“From the perspective of someone in teaching and research, the concerns that I have about that have to do with my First Amendment rights and with free speech and with being able, as a professor and as a university, to explore questions in a free way and to not be told by the government what questions that we have the right to address in the classroom,” she said.
As Murphy explained, there is still a grey area regarding the administration’s definition of DEI and what policies violate that idea. This creates uncertainty not only for staff who may have to make changes, but also for students of minority communities.
“The policies would directly impact my work with Lambda Delta Xi and the SAGE Center, so it is something I have been impatiently waiting for updates on. These further restrictions will limit what the organizations I am a part of can do to support other members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as other underserved groups, with the support of the university,” said senior Rory Foley, Lambda Delta Xi’s social media manager. “I know we will continue in some way, shape or form regardless of restrictions, as queer people have always been here and always will be, but it is a very scary time for a lot of us right now.”
Similarly, juniors and Co-Presidents of La Hispanidad, Katerina Kyrou and Kiara Salas, expressed their concerns for the future of their club, as well as the Multicultural Center.
“The Multicultural Center has always been a place for belonging and where students of all backgrounds can feel safe. The fact that this space could be in jeopardy is a scary realization,” the two said in a joint statement. “It is frustrating to know that all of the time, effort, and care put towards creating this safe environment for students, can be taken away so quickly.”
The club’s first meeting after the letter from the Office of Civil Rights was released focused on discussion so members could better understand how the policies affect them and express their feelings on the matter.
“Our main goal at this time is to be there for our members. We want to stress to every individual that current events should not impact how you express your culture,” Kyrou and Salas said. “No matter where this situation takes us, we will stay committed and true to our mission statement and do whatever we can to make sure our community we have worked so hard to build does not go anywhere.”
For now, Noack said that the university will continue to assess the information and how it will move forward as more is announced.
“All of this, I know, is unsettling to many. I want to assure you that our mission, culture and core values will not change,” Petillo’s Feb. 17 email said. “We will remain rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and we will continue to welcome all and provide respect and dignity to everyone we encounter.”
