By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is among more than 50 universities facing federal investigations as part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to restore merit-based education and dismantle discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
The U.S. Department of Education announced the investigations on Friday, reinforcing its commitment to ensuring that federal funding is not used to support race-based preferences in admissions, scholarships, or other aspects of student life. This move comes after a memo last month warning institutions that such policies violate federal civil rights laws and could result in a loss of federal funding.
The investigation into UCCS stems from allegations that the university engaged in race-exclusionary practices in its graduate programs. Specifically, the school’s College of Business is under scrutiny for its use of a faculty recruitment platform hosted by The PhD Project, an organization that limits eligibility based on race. Such practices, according to the Trump administration, undermine equal opportunity and fairness by prioritizing race over merit.
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated. “We will not yield on this commitment.”
This federal crackdown builds on the Trump administration’s broader efforts to eliminate race-based decision-making in higher education. Following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that struck down affirmative action in college admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the Department of Education is now applying those principles across all aspects of education, from faculty recruitment to student scholarships.
Conservative leaders and education reform advocates have long argued that DEI programs promote racial favoritism, create division, and harm students who should be judged on their individual merits. The Trump administration has made it clear that such policies have no place in federally funded institutions.
“Our schools should be places of learning, not social experiments that prioritize ideology over education,” said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights. “DEI programs have been smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline. That stops now.”
Predictably, left-wing activists and university officials have condemned the investigations, claiming they infringe on academic freedom and diversity efforts. The nation’s two largest teachers’ unions have already filed lawsuits challenging the administration’s memo, arguing that it is too vague and violates educators’ free speech rights.
Despite this resistance, the federal government remains firm in its mission to uphold equal protection under the law. With these investigations, the Trump administration is taking significant steps toward dismantling racial quotas and restoring fairness in higher education.
The Education Department is currently reviewing evidence and is expected to make further determinations on whether these universities will face consequences, including potential loss of federal funding.
The UCCS case is just one of many across the country that could redefine the future of American education. As the battle over DEI rages on, conservatives see these investigations as a necessary correction to the left’s decades-long push for race-based policies that divide rather than unite.
With Trump leading the charge, the push to restore true equal opportunity in education is gaining momentum, ensuring that America’s students are judged not “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”