Editors’ Note: Some sources in this article have asked to remain anonymous.
After President Trump took office for his second term, UC Santa Cruz’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) did not close.
However, language slowly shifted nationally, as the words “diversity, equity and inclusion” became “race-neutral.” Diversity took a step back as neutrality took center stage.
“The Trump administration is not only trying to scare students, but it’s trying to devalue how hard students of color have to work,” said Francisco Ornelas, the Student Union Assembly representative for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA) at UCSC. “[They’re trying to] show us that we’re not worth belonging here, and that the university is not meant for us.”
In order to ensure race is not being considered in admissions decisions, the Trump administration has “eliminated unfair requirements for admission, employment, scholarship awards, and more.” Part of their takedown is a current effort to collect detailed student data from universities from the past seven years. Should Trump succeed, universities across the United States, including UCSC, would be required to report the demographics of all students, including gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality and grade-point averages.
As of April 3, a federal judge from Boston, Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, has temporarily paused the administration’s efforts to collect detailed demographic information on students following a lawsuit filed by 17 democratic attorney generals, including California’s. The judge wrote that the data collection itself was not necessarily unlawful, but the quick 120-day deadline required by the National Center for Education Statistics resulted in information that was “rushed and chaotic.”
Due to federal pressure, institutions such as UCSC face budget cuts and national scrutiny should they refuse to comply with the Trump administration’s race-neutral agenda. In response to the increasingly hostile attitude toward diverse admissions practices and language surrounding diversity, students fear for the futures of the communities they have built.
“Community is a big part of why students choose Santa Cruz,” said an Educational Opportunity Programs student employee.
“When you restrict the language around how you’re allowed to build community … it just negates the purpose of a lot of resource centers and a lot of events.”
Anju Reejhsinghani, UCSC’s inaugural vice chancellor for DEI and chief diversity officer, emphasized her office’s continued commitment to supporting students from marginalized groups.
“My staff and I have continued to do what we can to allay the fears and anxieties of the most vulnerable among us,” Reejhsinghani wrote in an email to City on a Hill Press. “While I can’t comment specifically on ongoing federal actions, I do want our students to know that [the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] is here for them and stands behind the values in our name.” 
