5 ms·

There wasn't, historically, the level of enormous potential negative consequences legally and practically if the universities talked back. Universities, like m

There wasn't, historically, the level of enormous potential negative consequences legally and practically if the universities talked back. Universities, like many institutions, have also become more like large incumbent businesses than previously - e.g. perpetuating their own existence over having strong core values.

toddmorey 2y ago
This is really well articulated. It's like how a company uses fiduciary responsibility to shareholders to justify a pivot away from some kind of principled stance.
cess11 2y ago
Might have been a mistake to let some of them turn into real estate hedge funds.
Thorrez 2y ago
Biden was considering withholding federal funds from schools over their vaccine policies[1], and tried to withhold federal funds from schools based on how they treat transgender students[2], but that was blocked by a judge. Obama did a similar thing regarding transgender students[3]. Things like this are why Hillsdale College rejects all federal funds. So they can do what they want without threat of the government revoking funding[4]. [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-vaccines-delta/2021/08/05/4359ac76-f567-11eb-a49b-d96f2dac0942_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-vaccines-delta... [2] https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/12/texas-title-ix-lgbtq-students/ https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/12/texas-title-ix-lgbtq... [3] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/13/477896804/obama-administration-to-offer-schools-guidance-on-transgender-bathrooms https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/13/477896804... [4] https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-controversial-reason-some-religious-colleges-forgo-federal-funding/490253/ https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-co...
- rincebrain 2y ago
  Sure, but my argument was not "the federal government has never done this", but that "colleges have usually felt secure that this would not be done to them if they defended student protests", or at least, if we're being cynical, "that they would have an opportunity to walk it back if their calculations were incorrect".
- Aeolun 2y ago
  I don’t feel like the reasons behind this are the same. Biden/Obama: We want you to accept and protect everyone Trump: I want you to deliberately reject certain races and nationalities, and close all the departments studying stuff I don’t like.
  - Jensson 2y ago
    > Trump: I want you to deliberately reject certain races Which race are colleges not allowed to accept? Source for this?
    - kevingadd 2y ago
      The current administration refers to inclusion of PoC and women as "DEI", so when they talk about ending DEI, that's what they mean. See https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/17/defense-department-black-medal-honor-webpage-restored https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/17/defense-depa... for one example where it's particularly blatant.
      - Jensson 2y ago
        > The current administration refers to inclusion of PoC and women as "DEI", so when they talk about ending DEI, that's what they mean. I call bullshit on them wanting to ban women and black people from colleges, that is not what they mean when they say end "DEI", you are crazy. Can you post a single link where they even hinted at wanting to ban black people and women from colleges? That is such an egregious accusation that you need more than just that they took down a page about a black guy.

toddmorey 2y ago

This is really well articulated. It's like how a company uses fiduciary responsibility to shareholders to justify a pivot away from some kind of principled stance.

cess11 2y ago

Might have been a mistake to let some of them turn into real estate hedge funds.

Thorrez 2y ago

Biden was considering withholding federal funds from schools over their vaccine policies[1], and tried to withhold federal funds from schools based on how they treat transgender students[2], but that was blocked by a judge. Obama did a similar thing regarding transgender students[3]. Things like this are why Hillsdale College rejects all federal funds. So they can do what they want without threat of the government revoking funding[4]. [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-vaccines-delta/2021/08/05/4359ac76-f567-11eb-a49b-d96f2dac0942_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-vaccines-delta... [2] https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/12/texas-title-ix-lgbtq-students/ https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/12/texas-title-ix-lgbtq... [3] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/13/477896804/obama-administration-to-offer-schools-guidance-on-transgender-bathrooms https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/13/477896804... [4] https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-controversial-reason-some-religious-colleges-forgo-federal-funding/490253/ https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-co...

rincebrain 2y ago
Sure, but my argument was not "the federal government has never done this", but that "colleges have usually felt secure that this would not be done to them if they defended student protests", or at least, if we're being cynical, "that they would have an opportunity to walk it back if their calculations were incorrect".
Aeolun 2y ago
I don’t feel like the reasons behind this are the same. Biden/Obama: We want you to accept and protect everyone Trump: I want you to deliberately reject certain races and nationalities, and close all the departments studying stuff I don’t like.
- Jensson 2y ago
  > Trump: I want you to deliberately reject certain races Which race are colleges not allowed to accept? Source for this?
  - kevingadd 2y ago
    The current administration refers to inclusion of PoC and women as "DEI", so when they talk about ending DEI, that's what they mean. See https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/17/defense-department-black-medal-honor-webpage-restored https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/17/defense-depa... for one example where it's particularly blatant.
    - Jensson 2y ago
      > The current administration refers to inclusion of PoC and women as "DEI", so when they talk about ending DEI, that's what they mean. I call bullshit on them wanting to ban women and black people from colleges, that is not what they mean when they say end "DEI", you are crazy. Can you post a single link where they even hinted at wanting to ban black people and women from colleges? That is such an egregious accusation that you need more than just that they took down a page about a black guy.