U.S. Senate Confirms Linda McMahon as Education Secretary Amid Department Downsizing Plans

HEADLINES

U.S. Senate Confirms Linda McMahon as Education Secretary Amid Department Downsizing Plans  (Diverse Education, March 3, 2025) The U.S. Senate confirmed Linda McMahon on Monday to lead the Department of Education with a vote of 51-45, placing the former World Wrestling Entertainment executive at the helm of an agency that President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly pledged to eliminate.

Secretary McMahon: Our Department's Final Mission (U.S. Department of Education, March 3, 2025) When I took the oath of office as Secretary of Education, I accepted responsibility for overseeing the U.S. Department of Education and those who work here. But more importantly, I took responsibility for supporting over 100 million American children and college students who are counting on their education to create opportunity and prepare them for a rewarding career. I want to do right by both. 

Purpose, Service, and the Common Good: Why Higher Ed Professionals Choose HBCUs (Higher Ed Jobs, February 26, 2025) In honor of Black History Month, HigherEdJobs spoke with a group of current and former presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The article includes insight from Cynthia Jackson Hammond, President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and others on why HBCUs are an important part of the academic landscape, the challenges and opportunities at these institutions, and why others might consider a career at an HBCU.

Accreditors Offer Flexibility on DEI Standards (Inside Higher Ed, February 28, 2025) Accreditors are relaxing enforcement of DEI standards as colleges grasp for answers on what unclear Trump administration directives targeting DEI mean. As colleges feel the squeeze, some institutional accreditors have decided not to force colleges to choose between them or the Education Department, at least for now,  telling institutions they will not be adversely affected if they fail to comply with DEI standards due to state or federal laws.

Trump Is Targeting DEI in Higher Ed. But What Does He Mean? (Inside Higher Ed, February 27, 2025) Colleges are supposed to comply with the administration’s recent guidance by the end of last week. But it’s hard to tell which activities the White House actually opposes. The string of vague and sometimes seemingly contradictory executive actions has left leaders of federally funded colleges and universities and their employees to wonder: Should they wait for clarification—legal or otherwise—before upending their DEI policies and programs?

What’s Next for Higher Education Under Trump? (Chronicle of Higher Education, February 25, 2025) Trump talked about going after and firing what he called, “radical accreditors.” At the time you could make the argument that this was just red meat for the base. Accreditation is exceedingly complicated but also important. It is the gatekeeper that allows institutions to access federal financial aid. You don’t have accreditation; you can’t get paid for Pell Grants.