Fulfilling his campaign promise, the Trump administration has ordered the Department of Education to end its support of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs nationwide.
“DEI, I think, has been its program that’s tough,” said Lindal McMahon, Head of the Federal Department of Education
Since 2023, at least 157 bills explicitly attacking DEI in education have been introduced across 34 states. At least 15 states have enacted these bans or restrictions into law. California is not one of them. College of the Canyons encourages students worried about the political climate to seek out Alliance groups.
“The students are living in an environment of greater fear and concern,” said College of the Canyons professor Erin Delaney.
The ICC is a place to foster connections.
“The Intercultural Center was built to have a centralized location for students with different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. It was built to provide a safe and brave space for all our students from all different walks of life,” said Brandon Ashford.
Reduced funding is a concern.
“College of the Canyons is known for being a welcoming place for students and the community,” said College of the Canyons VP of Public Information Eric Harnish.
“The state of California has placed an emphasis on incorporating DEI into the various aspects of what the college does,” said Harnish.
“Funding comes from the state, and the state is committed to that,” said Harnish.
As colleges and universities navigate these uncertain waters, College of the Canyon stands fast on its core mission: “Everyone is Welcome Here.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article, published on April 04, 2025, misquoted College of the Canyons VP of Public Information Eric Harnish’s quote about “If we want to better understand each other, then we need to come together and talk and exchange those cultural engagements.” The current version has the correct quote.
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