by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

Virginia’s 23 community colleges will be required to ensure all of their programs and practices comply with federal regulations to ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally, ending policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

The decision by the Virginia Community College System’s State Board is in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate DEI initiatives, which are designed to overcome historic inequities and discrimination that blocked progress for minorities and women. The VCCS directive applies to several areas including admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, and graduation ceremonies, according to the March 20 resolution.

The Trump Administration has also warned colleges and universities to end race-based decision-making or risk losing federal funding, which many institutions rely on to cover Pell Grants and the federal student loan program. 

The VCCS’ resolution also directs Virginia community colleges to avoid attempts to get around the new rules and to end reliance on third-party organizations that assist in implementing race-conscious policies.

“Adopting a resolution to affirm our values and compliance with recent guidance on discrimination and merit-based opportunity and amending language in our policies and strategic plan are critical necessary actions to ensure federal funding for Virginia’s Community Colleges is not compromised,” said VCCS State Board Chair Terri Thompson, who was reappointed by former Gov. Ralph Northam. “It is our continued ability to provide students with high-quality educational and training opportunities that is at the heart of our mission.”

The board’s decision also led to several changes to the system’s strategic plan, which outlines the VCCS’ goals and objectives, including removing the goal of increasing the diversity of full-time faculty and staff by 5% by 2030.

The decision also changed some areas of the policy manual, including renaming its advisory council on “diversity, equity, inclusion and culture” to “culture of care and success.”

David Doré, VCCS chancellor, said the changes made don’t impact the system’s mission, which is to help people learn new things and glean better skills to enhance their lives and help their communities get stronger.

Del. Michael Jones, D-Richmond, told WRIC last week that the board needs to reverse the decision, adding that VCCS’ diversity policies help ensure minorities, who he says have been subject to systemic racism, have the same opportunities as their white counterparts.

“It bothers me when people come up to me (and say), ‘I don’t see race,’” Jones said to the television news station. “You need to see race because when you see race you will understand and see the obstacles that I had to face, the challenges I had to overcome, just simply being born the color that I am into the system or the country that I was born in.” 

State Republicans applauded the board’s decision, including Del. Mike Cherry, R-Colonial Heights, and Del. Tom Garrett, R-Buckingham, both members of the House Education Committee.

During the past two sessions, Garrett introduced proposals to amend the Virginia Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on race and sex.

After the proposal failed to pass in 2024 and was revised to exclude “sex” in January, the Democratic-controlled House did not hear the proposal. 

“We need to be aware of the negative impacts of our past mistakes, but (also) that we do not correct those going forward by considerations for promotion and opportunity beyond merit and one’s ability to serve their community,” Garrett said.

Cherry added that Virginia’s community college system is an “important link” in the state’s higher education offerings, particularly for first-generation and working adult families. 

“Ending the divisiveness of DEI programs at VCCS and all public colleges and universities allows them to stay focused on one of their main objectives, which should be making a college degree attainable and affordable for all Virginians, and I support their decision.”

(Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.)