How the Trump Administration has Affected UW-Madison
Wisconsin is already seeing the effects of major reforms
The Trump Administration has brought about sweeping change in the federal government. New approaches to foreign policy and the economy have major national implications, with many actions by President Trump specifically affecting Wisconsin.
UW-MADISON UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION
UW is among the 60 U.S. universities under investigation for “antisemitic discrimination and harassment” by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The university confirmed that it was being investigated on Tuesday in a statement that said, “UW–Madison condemns antisemitism in all its forms and strives to promote a welcoming campus environment for all members of the campus community.”
EXECUTIVE ORDER CITES MADISON SCHOOLS
President Trump signed an executive order in January to address the teaching of controversial ideologies, such as critical race theory and those related to gender identity, by eliminating funding for “illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools.” It specifically criticizes a Madison Metropolitan School District policy that allows teachers to use different pronouns and names for students without parental consent. The district was previously sued because “the Madison School District directs its teachers and staff to deceive parents by reverting to the child’s birth name and corresponding pronouns whenever the child’s parents are nearby.”
THE END OF MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Trump signed an executive order called “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” that declared it is “the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.”
In response to the executive order, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) “voted to update the organization’s policy regarding student-athlete eligibility – affirming its compliance with federal directives that only students designated as females at birth will be allowed to participate in girls competitions.”
To solidify this change long-term, Wisconsin State Representative Barbara Dittrich, a Republican representing Oconomowoc, reintroduced legislation to ban men from playing on women’s sports teams.
THE END OF DEI?
President Trump issued an executive order to make future federal funding for universities, including UW-Madison, contingent on eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. While the effectiveness of this order is in question, Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin and Provost Charles Isbell Jr. released a letter saying diversity “makes us stronger.” This comes shortly after UW-Madison’s chief diversity officer was removed from his position due to concerns about “fiscal judgements.”
GOVERNMENT SPENDING SLASHED
In a dramatic transition from the Biden Administration, President Trump has committed to rapidly decreasing government spending. The spending cuts at the National Institutes of Health have the most direct impact on universities, as the NIH funds numerous research projects across the country. This action has affected UW-Madison, which is “supported by $513 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the proposed NIH funding cuts would eliminate approximately $65 million in funding for the current year” according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. For this reason, the State of Wisconsin has joined a lawsuit against the president’s actions in federal court.
WISCONSINITES IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Economics professor Kim Ruhl was appointed to the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Ruhl, who served as co-director of the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, will advise Trump on “domestic and international economic policy.” In a statement provided by UW-Madison, Ruhl said, “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to apply my training and expertise as an economist to timely public policy issues and I am very much looking forward to serving my country and my president.”
Additionally, former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy now serves as U.S. Secretary of Transportation in the President’s cabinet.
This story has been updated to include the section about UW being under federal investigation.
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