Sauk Valley Community College president doesn’t expect Trump’s DEI ultimatum to affect federal funding

DIXON – Despite the Trump administration’s recent ultimatum giving the nation’s schools and universities two weeks to end diversity initiatives or risk losing federal funding, Sauk Valley Community College President Dave Hellmich is not panicking.

The Education Department issued a memo Feb. 15 demanding schools stop using “racial preferences” as a factor in financial aid, hiring, admissions, scholarships, administrative support and other areas, effectively ending any practice that treats students or workers differently due to their race.

In a prepared statement SVCC Vice President of Academics and Student Services Jon Mandrell shared with Shaw Local, Hellmich said he could “see no reason” why the school’s federal funding should be “jeopardized.”

Although the SVCC website’s Diversity page was unavailable with a 404 notification at the time this article was written, Mandrell said the page “was not a dedicated diversity page, but one of our committee’s, which is restructuring to focus our efforts on access and inclusion of all students.”

“My leadership team and I are monitoring the recent federal directives closely and are confident the college’s mission, vision, values, policies and actions are consistent with the nondiscrimination obligations specified in these directives,” Hellmich said in the statement.

“Sauk Valley Community College is a welcoming and responsive institution that strives to ensure all learners have the resources and opportunities they need to succeed in their academic and career goals. While federal funds account for a lesser percentage of Sauk’s revenues than do local taxes and tuition, federal funds are important in helping us maintain accessible education, student support services, and workforce development programs that benefit our entire community. I see no reason why this federal funding should be jeopardized because of our mission, vision, values, policies and actions.”