In the wake of President Donald Trump’s return to office, the United States has witnessed a seismic shift in its educational landscape. Over the past seven months, sweeping policy changes have rippled across both public and private universities, shaking the very foundations of academic research, funding, and student life. At the heart of this transformation is the Trump administration’s aggressive campaign to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, slash government funding for science, and clamp down on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. The resulting upheaval is being felt in classrooms, research labs, and administrative offices from Syracuse University to the corridors of Washington, D.C.
According to The Daily Orange, the Trump administration’s efforts began in earnest in February 2025, when the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency announced plans to cut more than $880 million from the Department of Education. The cuts targeted not only employees and contracts, but also grants specifically earmarked for DEIA programs. Just a month later, President Trump signed an executive order instructing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to close the department "to the maximum extent appropriate to the law," with plans to either relocate or eliminate its core functions. The stated goal? To "drain the government education swamp" and return power to the states—a move the administration claims will end federal "indoctrination" and restore local control over education policy.
Yet, as Syracuse University professors and staff have pointed out, the reality on the ground is far more complex and fraught with anxiety. Steven White, a political science professor at Syracuse’s Maxwell School, described the uncertainty as "a key factor in the disruption of education policies." He noted, "The Department of Education is one of those institutions we sort of take for granted, and now it seems like that’s not the case anymore." Fellow professor Thomas Keck warned that, "If these sharp budgetary reductions from the Department of Education and the aggressive policy enforcement actions targeted at universities are sustained over time, they together have the potential to dramatically undermine the United States’ higher education sector."
This sense of unease is echoed beyond Syracuse. In March 2025, Washington, D.C. became the scene of a somber gathering, as reported by APM Reports. Outside a government office building, a crowd of teachers, former federal employees, and supporters assembled to bid farewell to colleagues at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)—the research and statistics arm of the Department of Education. About 90% of IES employees lost their jobs as the administration gutted the agency. The mood was heavy, with people carrying boxes of personal belongings and supporters holding signs reading, "Statistics and research help kids learn." One attendee, Michaela, who had herself lost her job at another federal agency, said, "What is happening is not right. We’re here to support all those who fight for it to be right."
The devastation at IES is just the tip of the iceberg. The Trump administration attempted to terminate the largest reading experiment ever funded by the Department of Education’s research arm, relenting only after legal action was taken. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—one of the few initiatives the administration pledged to keep—has seen its staff slashed and more than a dozen tests eliminated in the name of "cost efficiencies." Decades-long federal surveys tracking students from high school into adulthood have also been scrapped, further eroding the data infrastructure that underpins education research in America.
Back at Syracuse, the policy shifts have bred a palpable culture of fear. Professors report that students are increasingly anxious about losing scholarships and personal safety, especially as federal funding becomes more uncertain. University leaders, too, are feeling the pressure. In April, Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud declined to sign a public letter from the American Association of Colleges and Universities condemning the Trump administration's threats to higher education institutions. Faculty members, including history and political science professor Margaret Susan Thompson, expressed disappointment and concern about the lack of public support from university leadership. Sarah Scalese, Syracuse’s senior associate vice president for communications, stated, "We are carefully reviewing the substance of the letter and actively consulting with key stakeholders to thoughtfully determine our course of action."
Syverud’s caution is not unfounded. The administration has made it clear that federal funding is contingent on compliance with its policies. As Keck explained, "There’s a real concerted effort on the part of the administration to unlawfully coerce private institutions to do the administration’s bidding." The threat of losing funding looms large, prompting universities to self-censor and reconsider their public stances on controversial issues.
One of the most contentious battlegrounds has been DEIA initiatives. President Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting these programs, labeling them "discriminatory" and threatening to cut off funding for any university that continues to support them. On July 30, 2025, the Department of Justice released a "non-binding" list of DEIA practices deemed illegal or discriminatory, including race-based scholarships and preferential hiring. The very next day, Syracuse University closed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion, replacing it with the Office of People and Culture within Human Resources. "You will see that Trump will issue an executive order that sort of unilaterally declares that they’re not going to fund any research that has anything to do with DEI," Keck predicted, noting the chilling effect on university programs and research grants.
International students have also found themselves in the crosshairs. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has pushed to reduce international student enrollment and ramp up security measures. According to ABC News, the government has begun deportation efforts targeting students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. In April, three Syracuse students were among 1,800 international students whose visas were revoked by the State Department, although the cancellations were later reversed following lawsuits. The episode left many students fearful of returning to campus or leaving the country, worried they might not be allowed back in. Keck observed, "Both international students and faculty are going to be more reluctant to come to the United States to work and study if they’re going to have draconian immigration enforcement hanging over their heads."
The impact of these sweeping changes is not limited to the present. Professors warn that the cumulative effect of Trump-era education policy will extend far beyond campus, altering the trajectory of American higher education for years to come. As Keck put it, "Universities play a very important function in terms of educating young people and also in terms of the production and dissemination of knowledge. It would be better if more of them found a way to stand up collectively, instead of getting picked off one at a time."
As the nation grapples with these rapid and far-reaching changes, one thing is clear: the debate over the federal government’s role in education is far from settled. Whether these policies will ultimately strengthen local control or erode the foundations of American research and academic freedom remains to be seen. For now, students, faculty, and researchers are left to navigate an uncertain and rapidly evolving landscape—one where the stakes could not be higher.
