Hello and welcome to The First 100 Days, Inside Higher Ed’s weekly roundup of news from the Hill to the Oval Office. I’m your host, Katherine Knott, the news editor.
Somehow, we’ve made it to Day 60 of the second Trump administration. We’re 4 percent of the way through the entire four-year term. But who’s counting?
So in Week 9, President Trump finally signed the executive order directing his education secretary to close the department “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.” What exactly does that mean? Well, we’re not sure, especially because only Congress can actually shut down the department. (Yes, I know I’m a broken record on this point, but the law is the law.)
Now, we’ve been waiting and waiting for this executive order since rumors first circulated in early February (with one false start earlier this month), but after Secretary Linda McMahon gutted the agency last week, this move feels like a formality.
Still, the White House pulled out all the stops for the signing ceremony, including surrounding Trump with children sitting in desks and a guest list of key Republican governors who all cheered the order. Our reporter Jessica Blake was at the White House for the signing and told me the room was packed. She also spied McMahon sitting in the front row.
In Other News: Pressure continues to build on international students and scholars, who are facing threats of deportation. Some scholars have been deported or barred from entering the country, raising more concerns about their safety and academic freedom. All of this could hamper international student enrollment down the line, several experts told us this week.
On Tap for Next Week: Columbia is supposed to reply today to the Trump administration’s sweeping demands. How Columbia responds could have ramifications for other universities facing federal scrutiny or loss of funding, so it’s a key fight to watch.
Today’s also the last day of work for nearly 2,000 Education Department employees who got laid off. They’ll be on administrative leave after Friday for at least 60 days. We’re still waiting to hear how the department plans to support the federal financial aid system with at least 326 fewer employees, among other questions we have for how the agency will work now with half its staff.
Congress is back in session next week, and the Senate is planning to hold a hearing on campus antisemitism on March 27.
So that’s a wrap for this week. The news cycle might be busy, but at least the cherry blossoms are blooming in D.C. It’s all about the little things, y’all. I hope you can get outside this weekend or watch lots of NCAA basketball.
As always, if news breaks this afternoon or over the weekend, you can find the latest at InsideHigherEd.com. In the meantime, I’ll be rooting for the Washington Spirit (our women’s soccer team) at their home opener. If you have any questions or want to share your feelings on this week’s news, feel free to email me at katherine.knott@insidehighered.com. I do love to hear from you all. Really. I swear, I do.
Have a good weekend!
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