New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an open letter Thursday directing the state university system to continue to promote racial diversity despite the Trump administration’s move to rescind federal guidelines regarding use of race in college admissions this week.
The governor’s letter, addressed to the board of trustees chairmen of the City University of New York and State University of New York, called Tuesday’s move a “blatant attempt to limit the participation of minorities in higher education.”
“It is part of a troubling trend by the President and his administration to alienate minorities and build walls to diversity and equal participation in society,” the letter said.
The governor wrote that the move should have “no bearing on admission policies,” and also directed the chairmen to have a report prepared by August 15 to explain how the state plans to “expand and increase” diversity on university campuses.
[Also read: Harvard’s new president rejects claims of discrimination against Asian-Americans]
In his release Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Obama-era guidelines were an example of agencies in previous administrations trying to “impose new rules on the American people without any public notice or comment period, simply by sending a letter or posting a guidance document on a website,” adding that this method is “not good government.”
Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa and State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia also issued a statement Thursday, criticizing the Trump administration for rescinding the guidelines.
“The Board of Regents and State Education Department abhor the Trump administration’s assault on policies that support positive environments for all children,” the statement read. “We live in a multi-cultural country and multi-cultural classrooms provide valuable experiences for all students.”
SUNY is around 45 percent minority and CUNY around 76 percent minority, according to the governor’s letter.
