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Emma Schaible/Fourth Estate

BY VIVIANA SMITH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Recent federal mandates issued under President Donald Trump’s administration demand the end of “race-based decision making in higher education.” Mason’s President Gregory Washington sent a university-wide email statement on Tuesday, March 3, explaining that Mason will begin to see the effects of these mandates, including a revision of their digital platforms and a rebranding of Mason’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

The announcement follows the second town hall on Feb. 20, where President Washington addressed concerns surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) along with other campus concerns. 

In the statement, Dr. Washington refers to a letter sent on Feb. 14 by the U.S. Department of Education to all educational institutions receiving federal funding. The letter claims that American educational institutions have used discriminatory practices to make decisions on admissions, financial aid, and more. “Institutions’ embrace of pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and other forms of racial discrimination,” the letter reads. The letter continues to claim that DEI is a “discriminatory [practice]” used to “justify” the aforementioned “preferences.”

Washington stated that confirmation of compliance was Feb. 28, in which the penalty for non-compliance would result in loss of federal funding. The specific requirements of compliance include “[ensuring] that our policies and actions comply with existing civil rights laws, [ceasing] all efforts to circumvent prohibitions on the use of race by relying on proxies or other indirect means, [and ceasing] all reliance on third-party contractors, clearinghouses, or aggregators that are being used by institutions in an effort to circumvent prohibited uses of race,” according to Washington. 

Dr. Washington confirmed in the statement that two main changes would be implemented in light of the federal mandates: website revisions and office rebrandings. Language on Mason’s websites will be gradually reviewed and all of Mason’s digital platforms will be updated “to ensure they accurately reflect [Mason’s] compliance with new and pre-existing federal requirements.” 

On Friday, Feb. 28, the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was updated to the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community. Washington explained that the new name is an attempt at accuracy and specificity, not one to “evade.” 

“It simply affirms our actual compliance through more precise naming,” Washington said.

The risk for loss of federal funding poses a challenge to many factors on campus, such as research grants and vital campus resources. 

John Hollis, media relations manager at Mason, provided a statement via email on behalf of the university. He stated that the university will work closely with Mason deans and researchers to avoid the potential loss of funding while remaining compliant with legal requirements as they change. 

“We will continue to review programs and communications, and carefully monitor potential impacts on student affordability, university safety, the integrity of instruction, and ongoing vital research efforts,” reads the statement.

According to Hollins, in Mason’s 2024 fiscal year (FY24), 799 research awards received federal funding, “accounting for $170.8 million of the University’s total research award value of $207.8 million.” As of March 7, less than 20 research projects have been paused or terminated. Hollins shared that there are measures in place, such as a cost-sharing arrangement, to bridge funding and support researchers whose work has been affected. 

The integrity of diversity, equity and inclusion on Mason’s campus has been a long-time concern for the student body. In May 2023, Mason received backlash, especially from DEI advocates, when Gov. Glenn Younkin spoke at spring commencement. The following semesters were filled with Board of Vistor’s (BOV) meetings fostering conversation about protections and attacks on DEI. 

The 2024-2025 student body administration, led by Student Body President Maria Cuesta and Student Body Vice President Colin McAulay, ran for election with a strong focus on protecting DEI on Mason. On May 3, 2024, the Cuesta-McAulay administration released a statement, signed by Cuesta, to the BOV expressing disappointment with the Visitors who oppose DEI and those who support DEI but “chose to stay silent.”

In a statement sent by Spokesperson Jackson McAfee on behalf of the Cuesta-McAulay administration, the administration believes that President Washington remains committed to upholding Mason’s core values; however, there are concerns that future university presidents may alter the meaning and intention of the office’s new name.

The statement explains that the Board of Visitors (BOV) poses further challenges for the university, citing political differences and power imbalances. 

Despite this, the statement reads that, “Student Body President Maria Cuesta will continue to engage in Board discussions on these federal mandates and ensure the student perspective is voiced at every possible moment.”

The Cuesta-McAulay administration plans to develop a team that will monitor federal mandates and guidelines that affect higher education, hoping to keep the Mason community informed.

“Let us be clear that there will be no pause in our efforts to promote and protect Diversity Equity and Inclusion, a commitment we have stood by since day one,” the statement said.

Democrats at Mason posted a response to the announcement on X. They claim the change is not an accurate reflection of the university’s values of diversity and inclusion. “By bending the knee to Trump it suggests he has the power to withhold allocated resources to public universities. HE DOES NOT,” the account wrote. “We expect our school to take a stand against harmful agendas and protect our vulnerable communities.”

President Washington stated that Mason’s diversity is achieved by the students who apply, not how Mason enrolls “under exclusive rules of admissions.” The president concluded the email by confirming Mason “will continue to ensure that we comply with all legal mandates from the federal government” and will announce additional changes as they come forth. 

“Our students come first…We thrive together…Diversity is our strength,” Washington said, wrapping up the letter by listing Mason’s core values. 

Future information and updates will be available on Mason’s “Federal Compliance Updates” webpage.