Vol. 114, Iss. 16 | Thursday, February 6
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
flathatnews.com | @theflathat
HOW TRUMP'S DEI CRACKDOWN COULD AFFECT HIGHER ED
JAMIE HOLT / THE FLAT HAT
Federal government lacks enforcement authority, but Youngkin may influence College's Board SAM BELMAR // FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Tuesday, Jan. 21, President of the United States Donald J. Trump signed an executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs across federal government agencies, deeming them “radical and wasteful” and threatening legal consequences for non-compliance. Some experts believe such measures could soon be extended to public universities, calling into question the status of DEI offices and programs across the higher education landscape, including at the College of William and Mary. It is currently unclear on what legal basis Trump’s executive order could halt DEI initiatives on college campuses. The administration stated that DEI programs are “illegal and immoral” and violate civil rights law — claims which higher education policy experts have contested, likening the executive order to a repression of intellectual freedom and signaling the adverse impact of DEI changes on historically underrepresented students. In the executive order, Trump encouraged the Department of Education to identify nine universities receiving endowments greater than $1 billion and determine whether they have active DEI programs. The College’s financial report for the 2024 fiscal year, released Friday, Jan. 24, revealed an endowment with a total market value of $1.45 billion. According to Inside Higher Ed, the nation’s largest universities with the highest endowments — namely the Ivy League — will likely be first on the administration’s radar. In 2023, the College’s endowment ranked 44th among U.S. public colleges and universities.
Faculty Assembly President and professor of economics David H. Feldman specializes in higher education policy. He believes that Trump’s DEI crackdown within federal agencies is one element of a larger administrative battle for sustained power and relevancy. “DEI is only the thin edge of the wedge here,” Feldman said. “It’s not just DEI, it’s anything having to do with these hotbutton issues that allow the administration, especially Trump himself, to stay in the front pages every day. I mean, it’s like we go from chaos to chaos to chaos.” Feldman shared that Trump’s executive order to freeze federal grant money, which was blocked by a federal judge last Wednesday, would be much more likely than DEI measures to have an immediate effect on the College’s operations. “ The College’s budget here, we probably get $40 million a year from grants,” Feldman said. “I mean, this is going to cause shutdowns of research and things of that nature. Par t of this is [ Trump’s] belief system and par t of this is keeping on the front pages and driving all other news out. And getting us to dance.” According to Feldman, the Trump administration lacks the direct legal authority to force higher education compliance with DEI measures intended solely for federal agencies. “I don’t know how the federal government could get involved other than jawboning, which is what I think they ’re doing,” he said. “ They’re just spewing out this stuff and hoping that maybe places will just say, ‘Yes, sir,’ and start doing this dismantling without any legal compulsion to do so.”
Feldman believes the College would be more easily influenced at the state level with regard to DEI, especially since Virginia is led by a Republican governor who suppor ts Trump. However, he stressed that the College’s Board of Visitors ultimately has the final say on whether to implement higher education directives from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin D.P.S. ’22. “So far, at least, William and Mary has not had any gubernatorial overt inter ference in the Board,” Feldman said. “ They’ve sort of asked us, ‘Who do you want us to appoint?’ kind of thing, from a shortlist. And of course, these are all Republicans and friends of the governor that get appointed. But so far, we’ve done a very good job of making sure that these are people who have the best interests of William and Mary before the best interests of a particular ideological set of principles.” The Board of Visitors is set to convene for their first meeting of the calendar year this week from Wednesday, Feb. 5 to Friday, Feb. 7 at Blow Memorial Hall. Youngkin has yet to issue any DEI-related directives to Virginia university boards since the start of Trump’s term. However, Youngkin requested in October 2024 that Virginia Commonwealth University and George Mason University alter their curriculums to make DEI courses no longer required. Both universities’ boards yielded to the governor, prompting outcry from student groups. SEE POLITICS PAGE 4
CAMPUS
College receives $50 million donation for Marine Science scholarship
VIMS Dean Aday will speak at 332nd Charter Day, R. Todd Stravitz Scholars Program starts fall 2025 PEERAWUT RUANGSAWASDI FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
Thursday, Feb. 6, the College of William and Mar y announced a $50 million donation from R. Todd Stravitz ’82, establishing the R. Todd Stravitz Scholars Program for undergraduate marine science students. “We are deeply grateful to Dr. Stravitz and the Brunckhorst Foundations,” College President Katherine Rowe said. “ This gift removes financial barriers, allowing the brightest minds to access the learning and tools needed to address our planet’s urgent problems. These future trailblazers will craft solutions that safeguard ecosystems, economies, and the communities that depend on them around the globe.” The donation follows that of
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Jane Batten in July 2024, who gave $100 million to establish the Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences. Stravitz ’s gift comes as the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia approved the College’s undergraduate degree in coastal and marine sciences Thursday, Jan. 30. The first cohor t of students will begin the program in fall 2025, taking classes at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. “ This gift is about funding tomorrow’s problem-solvers,” Dean of the Batten School and Director of VIMS Derek Aday said. “At William & Mary, we equip students with the skills to craft applied solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time. This investment ensures our students can lead where the world
Inside Opinion 2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Farewell from outgoing Editorin-Chief
Anna Arnsberger '25 says goodbye , previews next year's staff at the Flat Hat page 5
needs them most.” Stravitz shared a reason for his donation. “When I was a student, a degree like this didn’t exist, and I want to create the pathway for today’s students to experience the best of William & Mary so they are prepared for the greatest challenges of their generation,” Stravitz said. “Our best hope for solving the environmental crises we face is educating young people to care for and improve our planet. Programs like this are critical to our future, and I’m honored to support this vital mission.” The scholarship will provide full-tuition assistance to selected students starting in fall 2025. While the number of recipients has not been determined, the College expects to increase the number annually.
“I think William and Mary is one of the best places to go if you're interested in doing marine science studies as an undergraduate, especially with the VIMS in such close proximity,” Nick Goodman ’27, who aims to declare a major in marine science once it becomes available, told The Flat Hat. “And now with this grant that we receive, the opportunities are only going to increase for how students can get involved with marine science.” Goodman said he joined the ecotoxicology lab with associate professor Juliette L. Smith at VIMS and hopes to be more involved in the future. “ The reason I chose this ecotoxicology lab that I'm working in is because it sets me on the path to go into a whole load of different fields, including
p h a r m a ce u t i c a l s, tox i co l o g y, chemical oceanography,” Goodman, who is eager to be more involved, added. “This donation will open many doors for students interested and invested in marine science in Virginia,” Sarah Herrera '25, copresident of Marine Science Society, told The Flat Hat. “This scholarship will help lower financial barriers to entering this field. Many of the most important classes are field courses which often have extra costs associated with them. Any opportunity to lower these barriers should be welcome as marine and coastal science is becoming more and more apart of our lives. The ocean’s importance is becoming more prominent with the increasing threat that climate change presents.” SEE CAMPUS PAGE 4
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