An article from This week in 5 numbers: Trump directive targets college DEI

We’re rounding up recent stories, from executive orders affecting colleges to a new policy allowing immigration enforcement actions on campuses.

Published Jan. 24, 2025 Natalie Schwartz Senior Editor

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a series of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Some of Trump's executive orders impact colleges. Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

From an executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion at colleges and other organizations to a new policy allowing immigration enforcement actions on college campuses, here are the top-line figures from some of our biggest stories of the week. 

By the numbers   9 The maximum number of organizations, including colleges with endowments over $1 billion, that President Donald Trump asked each federal agency to identify as potential targets for “civil compliance investigations.” The directive — which targets diversity, equity and inclusion programs — came in an executive order on Tuesday, the first full day of the new Trump administration.   80+ The number of education and advocacy groups that sent a letter on Jan. 20 to state and local lawmakers, urging them to shore up protections for immigrants. The next day, the Trump administration announced that colleges, schools, health care facilities and churches would no longer be off limits for immigration enforcement actions.   2 The number of sexes that the federal government will recognize — male and female — under a new executive order from Trump. The order directs federal agencies to use its definition of sex to enforce laws, including Title IX, the federal statute prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded colleges and K-12 schools.   290 The estimated number of full-time employees that University of New Orleans is furloughing for differing periods throughout at least the rest of the current academic year. The public institution also suggested that layoffs could come in the spring term as it tries to fend off a financial crisis.   $35.3 million The combined amount that Johns Hopkins University and the California Institute of Technology have agreed to pay to settle allegations that they engaged in a price-fixing scheme with other high-profile colleges to lower the amount of financial aid they offered students. So far, 12 of 17 institutions named in the lawsuit have settled. waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'mobile' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid1-mobile'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid1'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-mobile'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); }); waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'desktop' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid2-desktop'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-desktop'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); });

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