In the first two months of his second term, President Donald Trump signed 79 executive orders. For the University of Minnesota, these orders could affect nearly all operations of the institution.
Trump threatened to limit funding, make changes to Title IX offices and target students who demonstrate or protest on campuses across the country. These proposed changes brought concern from students, who worry about their future on campus.
In an attempt to clarify their role and decisions regarding these executive orders, the University issued a rapid response brief on Jan. 29, which attempts to help students understand how the University plans to respond to these changes from the Trump administration.
“I know these changes have heightened both curiosity and concern among members of our
University community, specifically, how these decisions may impact or disrupt your daily work,” President Rebbeca Cunningham said in a video on the brief page. “I’ve tasked a group of University leaders to monitor these developments, and they are assessing how these changes will impact our powerful public service mission here at the University of Minnesota.”
In addition to the video brief, the University created a web page that addresses four concerns that students, staff or faculty may have. The web page highlights four topics: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; the Department of Education; Immigration Policies and the National Institute of Health, all of which have seen significant changes under the current Trump administration.
In the response, the University attempts to answer questions from members of the University and clear up any worries that Trump’s administration may have caused.
Although this response is meant to help clarify actions and changes for members of the University community, some students said they still do not understand what the future could look like.
Bennett Nguyen Prowell said the clarification by the University still leaves something to be desired.
“It just seems kind of vague,” Prowell said. “I don’t really see a plan of action other than the rapid response website, so I don’t really know what to make of it.”
Prowell said he wishes the University could do more to support its students during this time, but he acknowledges that it is confusing for everyone involved, administration included.
“It doesn’t really feel like enough, but it also feels like, how much can they really do?” Prowell said.
Other students said they feel the University is not living up to their claims. Carina Dieringer and Camille Warnacutt, students at the University, said the University has fallen short in its efforts to protect students.
“I would say I’m really disappointed in how the University has responded,” Dieringer said. “They say that they have these goals of diversity and keeping their students safe, but it really doesn’t feel like that with the way that they’re kind of folding to everything.”
Like Dieringer, Warnacutt said she feels that federal changes have caused the University to compromise its principles.
“The University’s rollbacks on DEI due to federal funding cuts have been shameful,” Warnacutt said. “It has me thinking about the impacts that the University’s reliance on federal funding has on our safety, especially under this administration.”
