By Victoria Cruz
Contributor
In an April 3 memo, the U.S. Department of Education announced states have 10 days to return a certification assuring compliance with the current administrations’ interpretation of federal civil rights law that rejects Diversity, Equity and Inclusion provisions. Otherwise, they risk losing federal funding.
While the letter does not in and of itself call for the immediate termination of DEI programs it highlighted the “discrimination” that comes with these programs.
“DEI programs that give preference to certain racial groups and teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not,” according to the letter.
The administration has declared said practices to be discriminatory and failure to comply may result in the withholding of federal funding to K-12 schools.
As of April 7, a court filing that challenged the order has resulted in an agreement between the department and groups suing to pause enforcement until April 24 .
Some states such as Minnesota and New York have already announced they will not comply with the demands outlined in the April 3 memo. Connecticut has yet to take a firm stance on the issue.
The memo threatens to withhold Title I funding, which supports districts with a high percentage of low-income families.
While it is illegal for the U.S. Department of Education to withhold federal funding as a means of controlling states, it is unclear at this time what the scale of consequence for failure to comply will be.
Districts were encouraged to consult with legal counsel to prepare themselves for potential fallout.
Some critics have called on Connecticut to take a stronger stance in the matter.
“Title I funding is currently specific funding that aims to increase academic achievement within low-wealth areas regarding elementary and secondary education,” Interim Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the university, Kelvin Rutledge said. “This certification letter request does not impact colleges and universities in the same manner.”
While these potential cuts do not directly impact colleges yet, they will have an implicit consequence, as many of our current and future students gained access to higher education through Title I programming.
“Colleges and universities will continue to track the ramifications of certification and investigate how it impacts our partner and feeder schools for admissions, enrollment and outreach programming,” Rutledge said.
Biology major Wahid Chowdhury, a freshman, said that he worries about the impact the letter could have on his education.
“I come from that lower class and that money is very helpful,” Chowdhury said. “I’d like to continue my education and that is a giant hinderance, a lot of people already can’t afford education and we are losing talent.”
Communication major Cassie Flanagan, a senior, said that she is thankful that Connecticut is one of the main supporters of retaining DEI programs and benefits for all students.
“I am concerned about what could happen but overall, I would be more worried if we were in a different state,” Flanagan said.
“If there were potential state cuts to universities, each university across the CSCU system would develop a response plan. At Southern, we view diversity, equity and inclusion as assets to both the academic and outside of the classroom experience,” Rutledge said.
The CSCU system legal team and university leadership are closely tracking relevant information that could impact operation.
While the university remains diligent in monitoring the situation and is prepared to implement strategies to combat any funding cuts that may detrimentally impact students, it is important for the campus community to stay informed.
Actively engaging with education policy updates and remaining thorough in understanding their potential effects can help ensure students and educators are prepared for any future developments.
