Race on Campus

What’s happening with the latest round of task forces?

• Colleges have faced increased scrutiny over their handling of reported antisemitism and Islamophobia. To combat this, many assembled task forces. The committees, led by faculty or staff members, have in many cases avoided making calls on controversial definitions. That’s one of the four themes our Kate Hidalgo Bellows explores in this story on task forces’ re-emergence.
• The U.S. government says Black colleges are owed $12 billion. Some say that calculation is flawed. The U.S. Department of Education released data last year suggesting that many states have underfunded their land-grant historically Black colleges by more than $12 billion since 1987, violating the Second Morrill Act of 1890. The information sparked, among other reactions, a series of lawsuits by some HBCU students, alumni, and administrators to redress funding disparities. But a growing list of opponents say that the department’s summary is oversimplistic. Our Jasper Smith has the story.
• How is your work being affected by the movement against DEI? With so many bills and new policies for higher ed across the country, it’s hard to keep track. Our new email alert saves you time in your efforts to stay up to date. Sign up and we’ll update you only when new bills or laws drop.