With Donald Trump’s return to the White House now a reality, universities nationwide are bracing for potential ripple effects on their students, faculty, and institutional priorities. Haverford College, which has been proactively committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), now faces urgent questions about how it will protect its most vulnerable students.
Among the concerns circulating across campus: What will happen to students from marginalized backgrounds if federal protections for their rights are eroded? What steps is Haverford taking to safeguard undocumented and international students from potential policy changes? Is there any protocol in place to support international students who may face prohibited reentry to the United States when they return to school in the fall?
And perhaps one of the most unconsidered questions: Will Howard Lutnick ’83, Haverford alum and Trump’s Secretary of Commerce, wield unprecedented influence in ways that could jeopardize the college’s DEI efforts or financial standing by threatening to take away need-based student aid through federal funding?
To address these concerns, I sat down with Dean John McKnight, who oversees the entire student life division (Residential Education, Student Engagement, Title IX, etc.), to discuss how Haverford is preparing for the next four years, what immediate actions the administration is taking, and how the college intends to ensure that every student—regardless of background—remains protected and supported.
McKnight’s First Concern: The Department of Education
When I asked Dean McKnight what aspect of student life immediately came to mind upon Trump’s re-election, his answer was both broad and urgent: the Department of Education itself.
“There was talk throughout his campaign about the Department of Education being a wasteful federal resource,” McKnight said. “If that goes away or is changed significantly, what does that mean for Title IX? What does that mean for Title VI? All these things are tied to the Department of Education.”
Beyond funding concerns, McKnight pointed to the administration’s historical targeting of marginalized communities, and a significant problem is that many of the federal protections currently in place—ones that safeguard students’ rights—could be stripped away or radically altered.
The Fight Over DEI: A Dangerous Manipulation of Education
Dean McKnight and I discussed the Trump Administration’s potential attempt to manipulate education, including its revival of the controversial 1776 Commission, which presents a revisionist version of American history. When I asked McKnight which threat was bigger—abolishing the Department of Education or twisting it to serve political propaganda—he hesitated.
“It’s one of those ‘pick your poison’ situations,” he admitted. “But of course, a version of education in America where we only expose kids to the ideologies that this President believes in—that’s completely anti-democracy.”
McKnight stressed that one of the most harmful consequences of this political moment is the shifting rhetoric around DEI. He noted that opposition to DEI is no longer just a policy stance; it’s being normalized as a broader cultural rejection of diversity.
“The rhetoric that exists around DEI is now working its way into so many other spaces,” McKnight said. “For me, it’s less about any sort of real legislative authority and more about the alienation that results when people feel emboldened to express hostility towards these concepts in everyday life.”
Protecting the Most Vulnerable Students
Among the student populations facing the greatest risks, McKnight pointed to gender nonconforming, transgender, and undocumented students as being especially vulnerable.
“The all-out attack on genderqueer, gender nonbinary, trans students—that is huge,” he said. “The emotional and psychological impact of Trump using such hateful language and rhetoric… that’s what I worry about.”
Undocumented students, too, remain in a precarious position, particularly those protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). McKnight emphasized that many undocumented college students were born in the U.S., yet the administration’s policies could destabilize their status.
While acknowledging that Trump’s rhetoric doesn’t always translate to immediate legal action, McKnight pointed out that the mere act of declaring such policies already causes harm. “The fact that he can just say these things and upset all these communities does a lot of damage in and of itself,” he said.
McKnight assured that Haverford is actively working to ensure student safety, particularly for those who may face increased risks at home.
“We are deeply in the weeds of looking at all that very closely,” he said. “The general protocol right now is that if someone comes to campus to try to get a student or find information about a student, we actually would work with Campus Safety on that.”
Haverford’s Campus Safety website states that they maintain a working relationship with the police departments of Haverford and Lower Merion Townships, as well as Pennsylvania state and federal agencies.
McKnight noted that Haverford has already taken precautionary measures, such as allowing international students to return early for the spring semester in January. These decisions were based on internal insights about potential policy shifts.
Additionally, McKnight said the administration is focused on increasing awareness about students’ rights. “You’ll start to see more and more language out there about knowing your rights. There are red cards, which note all your rights as an undocumented immigrant, available in various offices so that students can have them on them at all times,” he said. “If somebody approaches you—say an ICE agent or any kind of law enforcement—you’ll know exactly what your rights are.”
Alumnus Howard Lutnick’s Role in a Potential Pull of Federal Funding
One of the more complicated concerns is the potential impact on Haverford’s federal funding—particularly given the college’s connection to Howard Lutnick ‘83, who is now serving as Trump’s Secretary of Commerce.
I asked McKnight if there was any concern that Lutnick could leverage his power to target institutions like Haverford that remain committed to diversity and inclusion.
“I wouldn’t put it past anybody to use the power and influence they have,” he admitted. “But my guess is that this administration wants to make a splash with whatever they do. So they’re going to go after the highest-profile universities first—the Ivy League schools, the large research institutions.”
Still, McKnight acknowledged that institutional funding is always delicately balanced. Haverford, like many private colleges, receives some federal support in the form of financial aid, and any drastic policy shifts could impact its minority students. However, he clarified that the college has no intention of scaling back its DEI commitments.
“If anything, we need to double down even more on these areas,” he said. “The populations served by these offices are feeling particularly marginalized at this moment.”
Immediate Action and Reassurance for Students
As for immediate actions, McKnight outlined several steps the college is already taking to protect students, including increasing outreach to students from vulnerable populations and providing legal resources for undocumented students. He also stressed the importance of informational programming through Haverford’s IDEA division (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) and, most crucially, strengthening campus community-building efforts, including informal gatherings, open office hours, and discussions with student groups.
Finally, McKnight emphasized the importance of unity and critical engagement.
“The strength we have as a community is to connect with each other and to learn from each other,” he said. “We need to use this as an opportunity to sharpen our tools of critical analysis, to form knowledge communities where we can support each other and break down what’s really happening in the world.”
Despite the uncertainty of the next four years, McKnight clarified that Haverford remains committed to supporting its students.
“These are complicated times,” he said. “But our values don’t change because of a presidency. If anything, they become even more important.”
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