by Madeleine Farr

Claremont Colleges representatives said their schools have adopted deliberate, vigilant approaches in response to the Trump administration’s ongoing threats to higher education institutions that embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. But just how these threats will materialize remains unclear.

Some three weeks after President Trump’s January 21 executive order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” the federal Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a “Dear Colleague” letter regarding DEI in higher education.

This letter expanded upon the Supreme Court’s 2023 prohibition of race-conscious admissions, stating “race blindness” should include hiring, financial aid, housing, etc. It also warned that institutions failing to comply could face investigation and risk losing federal funding. ​

Pitzer College President Strom Thacker sent an email to Pitzer community members on February 19 with the subject line, “Executive Orders, Dear Colleague Letter, and the Pitzer Community.”

“A flurry of new executive orders and federal policies have emerged,” Thacker wrote. “Our priority continues to be the well-being and safety of our community, particularly those most vulnerable to these changes.” He identified diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives among federal programs that might be impacted, and said the changes were being monitored closely.

Thacker provided some details about Pitzer’s approach — as well as the wider Claremont Colleges consortium’s efforts — in responding to the dynamic political and legal landscape.

“Externally, we partner with other members of the Claremont consortium, as well as state and national higher-education associations and lobbying groups,” Thacker wrote. “Internally, we focus tightly on supporting our campus community, and particularly its most vulnerable members.”

On February 17, Harvey Mudd College President Harriet Nembhard sent the school a similarly structured email expressing support for vulnerable people, detailing the college’s various responses, and highlighting the collaboration among the Claremont Colleges. Her email did not mention diversity, equity, and inclusion or any other specific executive branch proposals.

In a statement to the Courier, Helena Paulin, director of brand marketing and strategy at Claremont McKenna College’s Civility, Access, Resources, and Expression Center, echoed Thacker’s sentiment on monitoring executive actions especially closely at this time.

“We continue to track, study and evaluate all legislative issues that impact higher education and remain committed to robustly supporting all of our students,” Paulin wrote.

Scripps College senior communications manager Emily Peters responded with an email. “Much remains unclear about specific impact on individuals or the College’s academic or co-curricular programs,” Peters wrote. She emphasized the importance of “carefully analyzing” executive actions in real time to ensure their impacts are fully understood. “In light of the current federal administration’s actions and declarations, we share our community’s fears about the safety, wellbeing, and human/civil rights of our classmates and colleagues.”

Peters highlighted Scripps’ efforts to protect the most vulnerable.

“We are working with affected individuals to provide personalized and confidential financial, legal, and wellness resources and assistance,” she said.

Trump affirmed his commitment to dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives during Tuesday’s address to a joint session of Congress, claiming, “Our country will be woke no longer.”

As the administration’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion are being felt throughout the country, colleges and universities have a central role to play, according to an email from Pitzer political philosophy professor William Mittendorf.

“The concepts that are becoming banned as allegedly being ‘DEI’ are mainly coming from the academy (e.g., intersectionality, white supremacy, systematic racism),” Mittendorf wrote. “The attack on the ideas now associated with DEI is paired with a financial attack on university administration. Weakening educational institutions in their political and cultural power is clearly a goal of the attack on ‘DEI.’”

Pomona and Harvey Mudd college officials did not respond for comment on this story.

The Courier contacted four additional Claremont Colleges government professors; two did not respond and two recommended we speak to colleagues.

Madeleine Farr is a Pitzer College sophomore studying politics and writing and rhetoric. She is chief copy editor at the Claremont Colleges student newspaper The Student Life, and hopes to pursue journalism after graduation.