Campus Chaos: Colleges Scramble to Respond to Trump’s Policies.

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As President-elect Trump prepares to take office, colleges and universities across the country are bracing themselves for a new era of uncertainty. With concerns ranging from the fate of international students to the potential for increased protests on campus, administrators are scrambling to prepare for the unknown.

“I think we’re obviously preparing,” said Todd Wolfson, national president of the American Association of University Professors. “It’s a new legal terrain; it’s a new political terrain for higher education and for universities and colleges.”

One of the key concerns is the potential impact on international students. Trump’s campaign pledge to launch the largest mass deportation effort in history has sparked fears that undocumented students and staff could be targeted. Additionally, Trump’s vow to target individuals with Temporary Protected Status or student visas has left many in the higher education community on edge.

“For our DACA students, many of our institutions were encouraging those with DACA to renew their registration,” said Sarah Spreitzer, vice president and chief of staff of government relations at the American Council on Education.

The United States saw a record number of international students in the 2023-2024 academic year, with over 1 million students from around the world attending American universities. India surpassed China as the top country of origin for international students.

“Unfortunately, the first travel ban caused a lot of chaos as they were trying to implement it immediately after it was issued, and so many of our students were caught up in the mess,” Spreitzer said.

“I think that many of our institutions are playing it safe,” Spreitzer added. “I would say that they want international students to be back on campus by January 20, because we don’t know what’s going to be included in that travel ban. But what I’ve been telling my institutions is that students were never directly targeted under the travel bans.”

As colleges and universities prepare for the unknown, administrators are urging students and staff to remain vigilant and to report any concerns or incidents to campus authorities. With the Trump administration poised to take office, the higher education community is bracing itself for a new era of challenges and uncertainties.

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