On February 5, 2025, the general counsel of the North Carolina public university system sent a memo to the chancellors of the system’s 16 institutions stating that all general education and major-specific course requirements related to diversity, equity, and inclusion were suspended, effective immediately.

The memo, sent by General Counsel Andrew Tripp, pointed to an executive order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” signed by President Trump in January 2025. Tripp’s memo noted that, per the executive order, institutions receiving government funding will be required to agree that they do not promote diversity, equity, and inclusion programming and that institutions that do not comply with the agreement risk losing federal funding. Tripp wrote, “Even though some form of additional federal guidance is expected, and the law in this area remains unsettled, the risk of jeopardizing over $1.4B in critical federal research funding is simply too great to defer action.” The memo noted that courses relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion can continue to be part of the curriculum, but must be electives, rather than requirements.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about a public university system making decisions about curriculum as a result of an ideologically driven, political directive. This is a direct encroachment by the government on the university’s authority to set policies concerning personnel, admissions, curricula, and the establishment of particular programs. External actors, including government officials and political actors have a right to free expression, but should not be permitted to impose undue pressure on universities’ academic decisions, including those relating to the hiring and firing of academic personnel, or curricula. Universities should take measures to ensure, wherever possible, that such decisions remain free from outside pressure and are driven solely by academic considerations. Such actions undermine university autonomy and inhibit institutions’ ability to function freely, undermining academic freedom and democratic society generally. Moreover, actions targeting diversity and social justice efforts may also erode core university values including social responsibility and equitable access.

Sources:
https://www.chronicle.com/article/a-university-system-ends-diversity-related-gen-ed-requirements-citing-trump-order
https://avlwatchdog.org/trump-mandate-forces-entire-unc-system-to-immediately-suspend-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-course-requirements/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SlcwEPInWq4aJz0vipOFsJtCFF9y6-4S/view