Trump signs executive orders targeting US colleges, accreditation system

US President Donald Trump has directed the education department and the attorney general to take strict action against institutions that violate Section 117 of the Higher Education Act

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (IST) signed a slew of executive orders targeting US universities that he views as “liberal adversaries to his political agenda”. He has ordered stricter scrutiny of the US colleges along with the accreditors who oversee them.

 

According to an Associated Press report, the executive order comes at a time when the Trump administration is trying to end ‘wokeness’ and diversity efforts in education, along with its attempt to reshape higher education institutes in the country.

 

In a slew of orders that have been signed, one of them called for stricter implementation of a law requiring colleges to reveal their financial ties with foreign entities, while another called for a restructuring of the accrediting bodies that determine whether colleges are eligible to receive financial aid awarded to students.

 

 

 

Trump’s executive orders

Financial ties between colleges and foreign sources have been a longstanding concern for Republicans, especially China and other nations that share an adversarial relationship with the United States. Trump first placed his focus on this during his first term and reemerged last week following an escalated battle with Harvard University.

 

According to the report, the White House noted that the action was much needed because Harvard and other institutions were violating a federal disclosure law, which was first passed in the 1980s and has been unevenly enforced.

 

Trump has directed the education department and the attorney general to take strict action against institutions that violate Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. Under this law, the colleges are required to reveal foreign gifts or contracts amounting to $250,000 or more.

 

The order states that the Trump administration aims to end the secrecy around foreign funding in the US educational institutions and protect them against foreign exploitation.

 

The executive actions were welcomed by several Republican lawmakers, including Tim Walberg of Michigan, who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

 

(With inputs from AP)