On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education released a statement pertaining to the successful efforts by the Trump administration to root out Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in institutions of higher education.
Collegiate institutions throughout the country allowed for academic standards to fall while “admissions were skewed to favor race over merit,” according to the White House.
Anti-DEI efforts have intensified on the state level across the country in recent years. With DEI policies being removed, offices at state universities are being closed, and staff are being reassigned or terminated.
The statement released by the Department of Education touted specific victories nationwide, stating, “Over 300 colleges and universities have eliminated DEI requirements, closed DEI offices, removed diversity statements from hiring practices, and altered or removed DEI policies.” At least 175 colleges and universities have removed or restructured their DEI offices, and at least 95 have eliminated DEI faculty and staff or moved them to different roles.
According to the tracker, Samford University, the University of Alabama, Auburn University, the University of North Alabama, Jacksonville State Alabama, the University of South Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Alabama at Huntsville, and Tuskegee University have all eliminated their respective DEI offices. The tracker also noted that, in addition to office closures, other DEI programs have been eliminated at the University of Alabama and Auburn University.
Alabama was one of the first states in the nation to pass legislation to address wokeness at public universities, with the passage of Senate Bill 129 in March of 2024, which restricted public universities from teaching divisive concepts related to race and sexual identity. Now the Federal government is touting efforts across the nation, which were championed by Alabama earlier on.
This past week, 1819 News reported on DEI programs and curricula being further dismantled at the University of Alabama. Likewise, in late 2025, 1819 News reported on the persistence of woke ideology on Auburn’s campus, evident in rebranded social toolkits and classes on "Queer criminology." Earlier that year, the Department of Education announced that the University of Alabama at Birmingham was under investigation for offering “impermissible race-based scholarships” and “race-based segregation”. While the efforts of the Trump administration and state officials have been commendable, as shown in the list referenced by the U.S. Department of Education, there is much more work to do, as woke ideology has gone dormant on campuses for the time being. It is not enough to counter DEI only in appearances; weeds must be pulled out by the roots.
The list of anti-DEI efforts at higher education institutions in Alabama and across the country is available here.
Have a tip about a woke professor or policy at your campus? Collegiate students across the state are encouraged to report any tips about anti-DEI policies being violated in class or by administration and can do so by calling 1819 News at 334-313-6201 or by emailing [email protected].
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