University of Hawai‘i President Wendy Hensel said UH remains “deeply committed to anti-discrimination protections, accessible education and academic freedom.” (Photo by Sarah Burchard)

By Sarah Burchard | Staff Writer

On Jan. 20, the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump issued executive orders impacting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) programs, educational research funding, immigration enforcement on school campuses and Title IX – a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools – protections. In early February, Trump announced he would terminate the Department of Education and banned transgender athletes in women’s sports. 

Since then, many of Trump’s orders have been blocked by federal courts. Still, there is collective uncertainty about the future of higher education. University of Hawai‘i President Wendy Hensel, who oversees UH Mānoa and all community colleges, said she has been working closely with Hawaiʻi Congress, Gov. Josh Green’s office and the state attorney general to navigate these confusing and constantly evolving times in order to act in compliance with the law while still maintaining the UH’s core values. UH and KCC have limited communication regarding the executive orders, so much that Kapiʻo News could not get anyone on campus to speak with us for this article.

On Feb. 6, Hensel gave updates to the University of Hawaiʻi’s 10 campuses and UH Board of Regents via a livestreamed address and announced that all communications would come solely from her.

According to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, UH received $515.9 million in grant funding during the 2023 fiscal year. 

Here’s a list of Trump’s executive orders that may impact KCC and its students: 

An end to DEIA

The executive order entitled Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing called to end affirmative action and terminate all “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences and practices, calling them “discriminatory.”

Essentially, the order makes it against the law for an education institution to give preferential treatment to any particular race in any aspect of student life including, but not limited to admissions, hiring, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes and housing. 

On Jan. 21, schools received a memo to place all DEI staff on paid leave, remove any DEI-related language from its webpages and cancel all DEI-related training and contracts. 

On Jan. 27, Trump issued a federal funding freeze. The freeze was reversed two days later due to lawsuits and public and government backlash, though the executive orders are still in place. 

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) said that Financial aid and Pell grants would not be impacted. However, the Pell Grant, which provides financial aid for over 30 percent of college students, is running out of money. According to the Congressional Budget Office, The Pell Grant program is short $2.7 billion for this coming fiscal year.

On Feb. 21, a federal judge blocked orders to end government support for DEIA programs.

Currently, all KCC programs are still operating, but KCC has had to eliminate words and terminology on its website that “imply preferences based on racial or gender categories,” according to UH.

A significant cap on scientific research funding

On February 7, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a cap on administrative and operational costs at universities from federal grants to a maximum of 15% (the national average is about 30%) in order to make sure the majority of funding goes toward scientific research rather than salaries. According to UH Hawaiʻi News, the university receives 175 awards and subawards from the NIH valued at $211 million. 

“We cannot carry out our core higher education mission without federal government funding,” Hensel wrote in an update email. 

A possible end to Department of Education federal funding

The DOE annually distributes federal funds to state and local school systems from a roughly $79 billion budget. It provides billions in financial aid and runs FAFSA (what we use at KCC to request for financial aid). It also enforces laws, such as Title IX. According to The Atlantic, federal funds from the Department of Education are “a lifeline for many districts.” 

“The stakes for every member of this community are extremely high,” Hensel wrote in a Feb. 28 update. “Thousands of UH employees are funded in whole or in part by federal grants. At risk are hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding totaling $386 million this fiscal year alone. All federal funding at the university, including student financial aid, is vulnerable.”

If the federal DOE is dismantled, it could mean elimination of federal funding for state schools, which means schools would have to find other ways to come up with the funds. States would have complete control over education policies, but would be financially burdened. The ability for students to afford to go to school would decline.

The federal DOE also maintains and collects data from schools that participate in federal student aid programs. Without this data the public would not be able to analyze and compare data regarding student admissions, graduation rates and more.

Trump appointed Linda McMahon, the former WWE executive, to oversee the DOE. On Tuesday, McMahon sent an internal memo to staffers about their “final mission” to eliminate the DOE and “return education to the states.”

Immigration concerns on campus

The executive order titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion promises deportation of undocumented immigrants and even individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Since Trump ran for president on a platform that promised to shut down the border and stop illegal immigration, the public has feared legal immigrants may also be targeted.

In her livestreamed address, Hensel said she is not aware of any immigration enforcement on UH campuses at this time and that “the University of Hawaiʻi will not share student or employee information unless legally required to do so.”

This week, Trump threatened on Truth Social to prosecute and deport any international students who participate in “illegal” protests and that all federal funding will be pulled from colleges that allow “illegal” protests.

Transgender athletes no longer allowed in women’s sports

In an executive order titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, bans transgender individuals from participating in women’s sports arguing that it is “demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.” Educational funding for all programs that allow for male participation in women’s sports has been rescinded. 

The U.S. Senate Democrats blocked a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports this week.

How KCC students can keep up-to-date

To keep students up-to-date on how these orders will affect the University of Hawaiʻi, Hensel has created the New Federal Policy Information and Resources webpage. 

“As we weather changes that may feel overwhelming at times, do not lose sight of what remains constant and certain,” Hensel said in her livestreamed address. “Most importantly, every individual on our campuses is a vital member of our ʻohana. No matter where you came from, who you are, what you believe or who you love, we see you, and you are welcome here.”