Trump signs new decrees on university funding and admissions

Alsharq Tribune- Zainab Hussin 

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed several decrees concerning the funding of higher education institutions.

Trump signed seven decrees, including one targeting foreign donations to universities.

A member of Trump's staff cited suspicions that institutions like Ivy League university Harvard are violating laws on the disclosure of such donations.

The decree intends to bring institutions of higher education to report significant sources of foreign funding "to end the secrecy surrounding foreign funds in American educational institutions ... and safeguard America's students and research from foreign exploitation."

Another decree aims to require universities to admit students based on their performance rather than what the Trump administration calls "woke" criteria.

"My Administration will reform our dysfunctional accreditation system so that colleges and universities focus on delivering high-quality academic programs," the executive order reads.

Trump has accused Harvard and other elite US universities of pursuing a left-wing ideology and allowing anti-Semitism on campus.

Unlike other universities that have come under pressure, Harvard has been refusing to implement the changes to hiring and admissions that Trump is demanding. The president also wants diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes scrapped.

In response to Harvard's stance, the Trump administration has frozen billions in funding, which the Ivy League university is challenging in court.