Administration's Fresh Directive Demands College Admission Records Sharing by Institutions under Trump
President Donald Trump has issued a memorandum requiring colleges and universities to submit detailed admissions data, broken down by race and sex, to the Department of Education [1][2][5]. This directive aims to increase transparency and scrutinize potential discriminatory admissions practices.
The National Center for Education Statistics has been instructed to begin collecting the data within 120 days, signaling a government effort to monitor how race factors into college admissions amid ongoing debates about affirmative action [1].
The administration frames the move as a push for greater transparency in higher education admissions, ensuring that colleges adhere to non-discriminatory admissions standards [1][2]. However, many institutions have already changed their admissions policies following recent Supreme Court decisions, with most colleges no longer requesting race information during application but collecting demographic data post-enrollment via voluntary surveys [1][2]. This has raised questions about how schools will practically collect and report the requested admissions data given these existing changes [1][2].
Regarding affirmative action, while the Trump administration emphasizes fairness and transparency, the policy change could further constrain how race is used in college admissions, possibly reducing the scope for affirmative action programs, which aim to increase racial diversity in higher education [1][2]. Critics and some higher education groups suggest the new data demands apply broadly, including many non-selective schools, and may have limitations in fully capturing admissions nuances and diversity considerations [2].
Notably, the memorandum revamps the department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System [6]. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has been asked to take remedial action if the data submitted doesn't come through on-time or if the department finds it "incomplete or inaccurate" [3].
Brown University and Columbia University have recently agreed to disclose data on the race, grade point average, and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students to the Trump administration [4]. The Digital Equity Act, aimed at tackling digital equity gaps by supporting state and local efforts to build inclusive digital infrastructure and skills programs, has been cut off by the Trump administration [7].
[1] https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/27/trump-administration-to-require-colleges-to-report-detailed-demographic-data [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/politics/trump-college-admissions-data.html [3] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/09/27/trump-administration-to-require-colleges-to-report-detailed-demographic-data [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/politics/trump-college-admissions-data.html [5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/09/26/trump-administration-to-require-colleges-to-report-detailed-demographic-data/ [6] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/09/27/trump-administration-to-require-colleges-to-report-detailed-demographic-data [7] https://www.edweek.org/leadership/digital-equity-act-facing-an-uncertain-future-under-trump-administration/2019/02
The policy-and-legislation implementation by the administration to demand colleges and universities to submit detailed admissions data, including race and sex, falls under the purview of politics and general news. Questions about the practicality of collecting and reporting this data amid existing changes in college admissions policies have arisen, posing challenges for institutions.
