The College Fix

University cites ‘stop work’ order, federal funding restrictions

The Rutgers University Center for Minority Serving Institutions canceled an upcoming event, citing President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders banning “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives in federally funded programs.

Marybeth Gasman, the executive director of the center, told The College Fix via email the mini-conference was canceled because the U.S. Department of Labor indirectly funded the event through its support of a non-profit called Jobs for the Future.

The university center is in the final year of a four-year partnership with JFF, aimed at expanding Registered Apprenticeships at Minority Serving Institutions, Gasman said.

“It is a $575k sub-award that is part of a $13 million grant that JFF received from the U.S. Department of Labor,” she said.

JFF aims to “transform education, employment, and talent advancement systems to address systemic and structural barriers to equitable economic opportunity—including an intentional focus on Black learners and workers,” its website states. 

The school planned to host the virtual mini-conference on Jan. 30 and “planned it in collaboration with JFF leadership,” Gasman said.

She also told The Fix:

On 1/23 via email in the early morning, we received an email from JFF informing us that they received a “stop work” from the DOL and that we were to stop all work, invoice them for work done through 1/23, and cancel the conference. The “stop work” resulted from two of Trump’s Executive Orders. We then canceled the conference via email and social media because we had 100 people registered. We noted the reason for the cancellation in the email.

We could not hold the conference using our other funds because all but two of the panelists were federal employees, JFF employees, or partners in the $13 million grant. Also, our expertise is not registered apprenticeship; it’s MSI/HBCUs — we did not have the staffing to provide expertise for the event without JFF support. Our role was to make connections to the HBCU community for JFF.

The event was designed to introduce Historically Black Colleges and Universities to apprenticeship programs.

“We were very excited to bring the HBCUs and Registered Apprenticeship Mini-Conference to you next week,” Gasman wrote in an email to the nearly 100 registrants.

“Unfortunately, due to President Trump’s Executive Orders … we have been asked to cease all work under the auspices of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion…” the email read.

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A former Department of Education official in the first Trump administration applauded the school’s decision in an email to The College Fix.

“Even if the Department of Labor grant has not yet been canceled, Rutgers’ decision complies with the spirit of the Executive order,” Adam Kissel, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told The Fix.

“I hope every agency is informing all of its grantees that the DEI party is over,” Kissel said. “If any grantees or subgrantees are illegally discriminating by treating people differently based on identity group, that behavior needs to stop immediately.”

Moving forward, Kissel said universities may initially misinterpret the executive order, either by overestimating or underestimating its implications, until they receive detailed guidance on how it applies to funds that agencies, grantees, or subgrantees have allocated but not yet used.

“Sometimes we see intentional over-interpretation or feigned confusion about a rule in order to create a headline. I don’t know if we can infer Rutgers’ true intent here,” Kissel said.

He also said Rutgers “should be especially alert to compliance in this area” as it “just emerged from federal civil rights complaints and findings.”

“Grantees should be informing their subgrantees about the Executive orders in case relevant grants and subgrants are canceled,” he said.

However, not everyone was in favor of the results of Trump’s DEI crackdown.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka condemned Trump’s actions in a written statement, saying, “Rutgers should not feel alone in the face of this bully,” PIX 11 News reported.

“I call on all private sector partners, responsible corporations, and those who believe in democracy to stand with our institutions against the threat of defunding,” he said.

President Trump signed an executive order last week requiring agencies to eliminate DEI-related offices, positions, and initiatives within 60 days, The College Fix reported.

Shortly thereafter, the Department of Education dismantled its DEI measures and suspended its related staff. The department also canceled DEI training and service contracts totaling over $2.6 million.

MORE: Rutgers likely operated ‘hostile environment’ for Jewish students

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