By SUSAN JONES
While Pitt was quick to respond to a Feb. 10 order that would have cut National Institutes of Health indirect cost funding to 15%, it was slower to react to a Department of Education “Dear Colleague” letter that said schools at all levels must eliminate race-conscious policies and programming immediately or risk losing federal funding.
Tom Hitter, of Pitt’s Office of University Counsel, noted at the Senate Research committee last week that the the education department letter does not have “the force of law — it’s guidance about their intent of how to interpret things.” The NIH cuts, on the other hand, were set to take place just days after the directive came out and required immediate action.
The education department letter said that the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down affirmative action, extends to all race-conscious spending, activities and programming at colleges.
Emily Dauria, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, told the committee that she’s heard a lot of concern about the attacks of diversity, equity and inclusion, and that the forward facing website for the Pitt Mothers Leading Science had disappeared. “We are now changing the framing of the program from Mothers Leading Science to Parents Leading Science to comply with this.”
Hitter said he was not aware of any direction from Pitt to take down websites in response to the “Dear Colleague” letter.
Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel said at a state budget hearing last week that one of the pillars of the Plan for Pitt is “that everyone who comes onto our campus is successful,” and a large part of that is the absence of discrimination.
At that same hearing, Barbara Allen, president of Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University, an historically black college founded in 1854, gave an emotional response to questions about threats to DEI: “I’m really struggling with everything I’m being asked to do. Lincoln started because African-Americans couldn’t be admitted to other schools. … I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do to reflect who I am. I’m trying to be compliant. Still some things just don’t make sense for me.”
In an email to the Pitt community on Feb. 21, Gabel said the guidance from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights advises that educational institutions review their policies and actions to ensure that they comply with existing civil rights law. The guidance also specifically prohibits the use of race in a broad range of university activities, including admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, and graduation ceremonies, among others.
“University leadership is reviewing this guidance to understand the full impact and implications on our activities and functions. However, we want to be clear that the University of Pittsburgh is open to everyone, and we are committed to fulfilling our promise of successful outcomes academically or professionally. We hold ourselves accountable, and we provide the environment where success can and should happen. Recognizing that many of our community members are feeling great uncertainty at this time, please be assured that we will be in touch with additional information, as appropriate, including future guidance from the Department of Education.”
The Department of Education letter is separate from an executive order issued by Trump on Jan. 21 that would cut federal funding from programs that incorporate “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives. That order is now on hold after U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson on Feb. 21 ruled that Trump’s policy likely violates the First Amendment because it penalizes private organizations based on their viewpoints. And the judge said the policy is written so vaguely that it chills the free speech of federal contractors concerned they will be punished if they don’t eliminate programs meant to encourage a diverse workforce.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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