Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Protects Civil Rights and Merit-Based Opportunity by Ending Illegal DEI
January 22, 2025
Action Summary
- Purpose: Protect civil rights and expand individual opportunity by terminating radical DEI practices in federal contracting and the workforce.
- Elimination of DEI in Federal Settings:
- Terminates DEI discrimination in federal hiring, promotions, performance reviews, and spending.
- Reverts the system to a merit-based approach rewarding individual initiative, skills, and hard work.
- Federal Contracting Reforms:
- Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to streamline federal contracting for enhanced speed, efficiency, and cost reduction.
- Revokes Executive Order 11246 contracting criteria and bars the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs from enforcing DEI-themed workforce balancing.
- Mandates a clear affirmation by contractors to refrain from engaging in illegal discrimination.
- Private Sector and Educational Guidance:
- Orders all federal departments and agencies to aggressively combat private sector DEI discrimination with civil compliance investigations.
- Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary of Education to issue joint guidance on implementing the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
- Restoration of Core Values:
- Reaffirms the values of individual dignity, hard work, and excellence.
- Criticizes the long-term impact of DEI on workplace competence and unity, arguing that DEI measures foster divisiveness and intergroup hostility.
- Presidential Commitment: Emphasizes fulfilling President Trump’s promise to end DEI practices, thereby restoring equal opportunity based on merit throughout government and society.
Risks & Considerations
- The Executive Order’s termination of DEI practices in federal contracting and workforce could lead to significant changes in how Vanderbilt University approaches its own diversity and inclusion initiatives, especially if it relies on federal contracts.
- Vanderbilt may face increased scrutiny and potential civil compliance investigations due to its endowment size, as the order directs federal agencies to combat private sector discrimination.
- The revocation of affirmative action criteria and the emphasis on colorblind policies may impact Vanderbilt’s admissions strategies and its ability to maintain a diverse student body.
- There is a risk of reputational impact if Vanderbilt is perceived as non-compliant with the new federal directives, which could affect its relationships with federal agencies and potential students.
Impacted Programs
- Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Vanderbilt may need to reassess its programs and policies to ensure compliance with the new federal guidelines while maintaining its commitment to diversity.
- Admissions Office might have to revise its criteria and processes to align with the order’s emphasis on merit-based opportunity and colorblind equality.
- The Office of Federal Relations will play a crucial role in navigating the changes in federal contracting and ensuring that Vanderbilt remains compliant with the new regulations.
- Vanderbilt’s partnerships with federal agencies for research and development may be affected, requiring adjustments in how these collaborations are structured and managed.
Financial Impact
- The order’s impact on federal contracting could affect Vanderbilt’s funding opportunities, particularly if DEI-related criteria were previously a factor in securing contracts.
- Potential investigations or compliance issues could lead to legal costs or financial penalties, impacting Vanderbilt’s financial stability.
- Changes in admissions policies may affect the demographic composition of the student body, potentially influencing tuition revenue and financial aid distribution.
- Vanderbilt may need to invest in legal and compliance resources to ensure adherence to the new federal directives, which could increase operational costs.
Relevance Score: 5 (The order presents critical risks involving legal or regulatory issues that could significantly impact Vanderbilt’s operations and strategies.)
Key Actions
- Office of Federal Relations should closely monitor the implementation of the executive order to ensure compliance with new federal contracting requirements. This includes understanding the implications of the termination of DEI-related criteria in federal contracts and preparing to adjust Vanderbilt’s contracting processes accordingly.
- Human Resources should review and potentially revise hiring, promotion, and performance review policies to align with the executive order’s emphasis on individual initiative, skills, and performance, rather than DEI-related factors.
- Legal and Compliance Office should prepare for potential civil compliance investigations by ensuring that all university practices are in full compliance with federal civil rights laws, particularly in areas related to admissions and employment.
- Admissions Office should evaluate current admissions policies to ensure they do not violate the new federal guidelines against DEI preferencing, while still maintaining a commitment to diversity and inclusion within the bounds of the law.
- Vanderbilt’s Research Departments should assess the impact of the executive order on DEI-related research funding and explore alternative funding sources to support ongoing projects that may be affected by these changes.
Opportunities
- The executive order presents an opportunity for Vanderbilt’s Policy Research Institute to conduct studies on the impacts of DEI policies and the effects of their removal on workplace dynamics and educational outcomes. This research can position Vanderbilt as a thought leader in the national conversation on civil rights and merit-based opportunity.
- Vanderbilt’s Business School can develop new programs or courses focused on merit-based management and leadership, aligning with the executive order’s emphasis on individual excellence and hard work.
- The order’s focus on restoring individual dignity and competence-based practices aligns with Vanderbilt’s mission to foster excellence. The university can leverage this alignment to enhance its reputation and attract students and faculty who value these principles.
Relevance Score: 4 (The order necessitates major process changes in contracting, hiring, and admissions to comply with new federal guidelines.)
Timeline for Implementation
N/A – The executive order text does not specify any deadlines or enforcement delays for the directives.
Relevance Score: 1
Impacted Government Organizations
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Tasked with streamlining the federal contracting process to enhance efficiency and eliminate DEI factors from federal contracting.
- Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP): Directed to cease enforcing DEI-based balancing requirements among federal contractors and subcontractors.
- Department of Justice (Attorney General): Mandated to work in tandem with the Department of Education to issue guidance on civil rights compliance and to enforce anti-discrimination measures.
- Department of Education (Secretary of Education): Collaborates with the Attorney General to implement guidance ensuring compliance with recent Supreme Court decisions impacting admissions practices.
- All Federal Agencies: Instructed to take strong action to end private sector DEI discrimination and to adhere to merit-based, non-discriminatory practices, thus affecting the broader federal workforce and contracting procedures.
Relevance Score: 2 (Between 3 and 5 individual agencies, including directives that apply across all federal agencies, are impacted by the order.)
Responsible Officials
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB) – Tasked with streamlining the federal contracting process to improve efficiency and enforce civil rights compliance.
- All Federal Departments and Agencies – Directed to take robust measures to end private sector DEI discrimination through active civil compliance investigations.
- Attorney General and Secretary of Education – Mandated to issue joint guidance on compliance measures in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
Relevance Score: 5 (Directives impact Cabinet-level officials and broadly influence agency heads and federal departments).