📌 PINNED
President Donald Trump is moving to reshape colleges across the country.
A flurry of executive orders and other actions build on campaign promises, including ending support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and transgender people as well as cracking down on immigration and pro-Palestine protesters.
Multiple USC departments and millions of dollars in federal funding could be changed or eliminated. Several actions are currently being challenged in court while USC administrators scramble to adapt.
Read our coverage below.
Oct. 6, 2025
Nicholas Corral, Associate Managing Editor
Trump gave USC a list of demands. Here’s what could change
On Thursday, USC was one of nine universities in the United States to receive President Donald Trump’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The compact would reportedly give universities preferential access to federal funding in exchange for implementing policies like limiting international student admissions, freezing tuition and refraining from commenting on political issues, among other demands.
On Friday, interim President Beong-Soo Kim wrote in a community-wide email that he would consult with the Board of Trustees, deans, the Academic Senate, the Academic Freedom Task Force and Faculty Advisory Committee, among others, about the compact in the coming weeks.
Oct. 6, 2025
Franco Gutierrez, Staff Writer
Trojans respond to new H-1B policy
The University is urging faculty and staff with H-1B status to temporarily avoid international travel amid new restrictions on the program by President Donald Trump and an increased $100,000 fee for employers to hire H-1B visa candidates. The new program rules went into effect for all new petitions after Sept. 21.
The H-1B visa program allows American companies to hire foreign professionals in a high-specialty, nonimmigrant capacity and is used extensively by research institutions and universities to acquire skilled workers. Previously, sponsoring employees on H-1B visas cost employers between $2,000 and $5,000, according to Reuters.
Oct. 4, 2025
Nathan Elias & Franco Gutierrez, Daily Trojan
Interim president reviewing Trump administration demands
USC received a letter from the Trump administration on Wednesday asking the University to sign a compact committing itself to the administration’s educational priorities in exchange for preference in federal funding, according to an article published in The Wall Street Journal the same day.
If USC signs the compact, an article from The New York Times states the University would have to “commit to strict definitions of gender,” limit the number of admitted international students and maintain its current tuition for five years.
Sept. 23, 2025
Miranda Huang, Assistant News Editor
House committee recommends stricter restrictions for Chinese national students
A months-long investigation by the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party into USC’s Chinese national students culminated in a report published Sept. 19 recommending that the Department of State “impose[s] restrictions” on visa-holding Chinese nationals.
The report alleged that the United States’ current visa policies enable students from universities allegedly tied to China’s defense entities to study in the U.S. Other universities, such as the University of Maryland, Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University, were also investigated for the report.
Sept. 23, 2025
April Mao, Staff Writer
International students voice concerns under recent US government decisions
One of the many sounds on campus is the convergence of different languages, revealing the diversity and vibrance of campus. USC is home to almost 600 new international students in the Class of 2028, accounting for 17% of the class, according to University data.
In recent months, international students have faced heightened uncertainty following federal proposals to restrict F-1 visa extensions, a congressional probe into Chinese nationals studying in the U.S. and a presidential proclamation modifying the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. USC has also warned students to be cautious when traveling abroad, as many are experiencing visa delays and difficulties returning to the U.S.
Sept. 15, 2025
Miranda Huang, Assistant News Editor
F-1 students react to proposed limitations
The University is awaiting a decision on whether the federal government will reduce the duration of F-1 and J-1 student visas. In a statement published to the Office of International Students’ website Aug. 29, the University wrote that the proposed new duration is not unusual for other United States visa classifications. The University also expects that those who maintain a good academic footing will have little trouble requesting an extension of stay.
On Aug. 27, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declared a potential update to F-1 and J-1 student visa statuses, capping their residence in the U.S. to the end date on their I-20 or DS-2019 form, respectively.
Aug. 26, 2025
Franco Gutierrez, Staff Writer
Chinese international students react to ongoing House probe
USC is cooperating with the House of Representatives investigation into Chinese national students at USC, an Aug. 6 University statement to the Daily Trojan read. The University did not share any details on the status or breadth of the investigation.
This follows a letter sent by the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party amid requesting University data on Chinese national students in March. The data request includes the percentage of Chinese graduates remaining in the United States or returning to China, a list of all universities the students previously attended, the sources of their tuition funding, and a list of their affiliated research initiatives and laboratories.
June 11, 2025
Maybeline Tucker, Staff Writer
USC is ‘closely monitoring’ changes to student visas. Here’s what to know
USC is “closely monitoring” new federal policies impacting international students who are applying for a student visa or already have one and is “actively working” to support affected students, the Office of International Services wrote on its website.
International students make up roughly 24% of USC’s student population, around 50% of which are from China.
July 14, 2025
Zachary Whalen, Daily Trojan
University’s operating deficit exceeds $200 million, layoffs to come
USC will implement layoffs to “deal decisively with our financial challenges,” wrote interim President Beong-Soo Kim in a message to faculty and staff Monday afternoon.
Kim wrote that the University ended the 2025 fiscal year with an operating budget deficit of over $200 million, an increase from the 2024 fiscal year’s operating budget deficit of $158 million. The statement named the “structural nature” of the deficit, along with poor financial performance from the health system, as contributors to the larger deficit.
June 10, 2025
Adam Young, Daily Trojan
National Guard deployed against ‘ICE out of LA’ protest
Approximately 100 members of the National Guard shot non-lethal rounds at and tear gassed protesters Sunday morning in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown Los Angeles, pushing the protesters onto N. Alameda Street to make way for vehicles to enter into the detention center. The approximately 44 individuals detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement in the Los Angeles area Friday are held in the center.
The protest was a part of the “ICE Out of L.A.” protests that started Saturday after residents spotted ICE agents at a Home Depot in Paramount. President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard to quell the protest later that night.
June 10, 2025
Maybeline Tucker, Daily Trojan
USC is ‘closely monitoring’ changes to student visas. Here’s what to know
USC is “closely monitoring” new federal policies impacting international students who are applying for a student visa or already have one and is “actively working” to support affected students, the Office of International Services wrote on its website.
International students make up roughly 24% of USC’s student population, around 50% of which are from China.
May 7, 2025
Bani Chauhan & Maybeline Tucker, Daily Trojan
Academic Senate endorses statement of shared values on higher education amid Trump administration actions
The Academic Senate voted to endorse a statement outlining a list of shared values of higher education amid the Trump administration policies at its meeting Wednesday. The resolution passed by a vote of 31-1, with three abstentions.
Faculty leaders in the Big Ten Academic Alliance — which USC joined in 2024 when it joined the Big Ten Conference — wrote the statement. USC joins 11 other faculty-led advisory bodies in passing it. The resolution is advisory to USC and is not an official stance from the University.
April 25, 2025
Nathan Elias & Adam Young, Daily Trojan
Trump administration backtracks on student visa cancellations
The Trump administration is reversing international student visa cancellations after multiple students filed lawsuits this past month, the Associated Press reported. According to the report, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement will restore and no longer revoke legal status for international students until it develops a formal process for reviewing and terminating visas.
More than 1,800 students and recent graduates had their visas revoked, according to Inside Higher Ed, including at least 100 students attending California universities, according to an April 11 statement from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
April 25, 2025
Adam Young, breaking news writer
Folt opts not to sign letter condemning Trump funding cuts
President Carol Folt chose not to sign an open statement released Tuesday by the American Association of Colleges and Universities rejecting the “coercive use of public research funding” from the Trump administration. As of publication, well over 200 university presidents and chancellors have signed the letter.
In a statement to the Daily Trojan, Folt wrote that she “rarely” signs open letters, but “deeply respect[s]” the University leaders who did and did not sign the AACU statement.
April 23, 2025
Justin Ha, assistant news editor
USC international students advised on summer travel
The USC Office of International Services emailed international students Monday with “important updates” for traveling internationally this summer amid visa revocations and terminations at universities. The email, which was first reported by Annenberg Media, included information on visa renewal, the revised visa interview waiver policy and the documents required for traveling and returning to the United States.
“While students may travel internationally during scheduled university breaks, international travel remains fluid and new restrictions could be implemented with little notice,” the email read. “The decision to travel internationally should be made carefully.”
April 16, 2025
Christina Chkarboul, staff development director
‘A real blow’: Scholars lose federal humanities funding
The Daily Trojan has confirmed at least 11 USC projects were hit by the Trump administration’s cuts to history and cultural programs as well as academic work funded by the NEH. At least 1,200 grants through the federal agency were canceled that day, The Washington Post reported, including those providing vital funding for state humanities councils, libraries, museums, individual scholars and more.
In a statement to the Daily Trojan Tuesday afternoon, the University didn’t provide a count of affected NEH-funded projects but recognized that terminations had affected “several awards in [USC’s] NEH portfolio.”
April 16, 2025
Justin Ha, assistant news editor
43 Gould faculty condemn federal law-firm targeting
Forty-three Gould School of Law faculty wrote and signed a letter addressed to Gould students April 2, condemning the Trump administration’s executive actions targeting attorneys, judges and law firms. The letter was first reported on by Annenberg Media.
The faculty wrote that the threats against legal professionals infringe on the Constitution’s First, Fifth and Sixth Amendments. The letter also noted international students at USC have reported “fear of imprisonment or deportation for lawful speech and political activism,” conflicting with the First Amendment’s protections.
April 8, 2025
Justin Ha & Zachary Whalen, assistant news editors
USC offers legal resources for international students as visas get revoked nationwide
In response to international students across the United States getting their visas revoked and their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records being terminated, the University released a frequently-asked-questions page regarding record termination Monday night.
“Our international students and scholars are valued members of the Trojan Family,” the University wrote in an announcement about the resource page. “Please take advantage of the university’s support resources and, if you have questions regarding your particular situation, please contact an [Office of International Services] advisor.”
April 4, 2025
April Mao & Talia Wexler, news staff writers
USC revokes some Ph.D. acceptances citing fund issues
Multiple USC doctoral programs, including philosophy, chemistry, sociology, molecular biology and religion, rescinded pending admission offers last week, first reported by Morning, Trojan. The Daily Trojan found that the classics department also revoked Ph.D. admissions.
The University wrote that programs and schools were giving “careful consideration” to how admitted students will be funded “in light of uncertainty regarding federal research funding,” in a statement to the Daily Trojan on Monday.
April 2, 2025
Sean Campbell, news editor
USC professors sign ‘SOS,’ claim federal assault on science
Eight USC professors and professors emeritus — including the namesake of the Viterbi School of Engineering, Presidential Professor Andrew Viterbi, as well as professors from the Davis School of Gerontology, Keck School of Medicine and Price School of Public Policy — signed a public statement Monday, calling on the Trump administration to “cease its wholesale assault” on United States science.
The letter — written by elected members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — specified that the signers were expressing their personal views, not representing their institutions.
April 1, 2025
Karthik Krishnamurthy, assistant news editor
Faculty sign letter urging USC to protect academic independence
The USC chapter of the American Association of University Professors circulated an open letter addressed to President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman with a list of demands related to the Trump administration’s recent actions.
The demands included covering researchers’ payroll in the event that federal funding is suspended and establishing clearer policies about academic freedom, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on campus. The University did not respond to the Daily Trojan’s request to comment in time for publication.
April 1, 2025
Zachary Whalen, assistant news editor
Rutgers University Senate pens resolution supporting Big Ten collaboration amid Trump administration
The Rutgers University Senate passed a resolution Friday supporting the establishment of a mutual academic defense compact among the Big Ten Academic Alliance universities, which USC is a part of, to defend “academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the research enterprise” from the Trump administration. The resolution asked Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway to formally propose the compact.
The resolution alleged that the Trump administration has exerted improper control over academic inquiry and has threatened free speech as well as the integrity of scientific research, and asks Big Ten universities to defend each other against these “infringements.”
March 28, 2025
Justin Ha, assistant news editor
Gould Dean joins in condemning Trump law firm sanctions
Gould School of Law Dean Franita Tolson joined 78 law deans in signing a letter issued Wednesday condemning the Trump administration’s sanctions against law firms involved in lawsuits or employed prosecutors challenging its agenda. The letter specified that the signers were expressing their personal views, not representing their institutions.
“The government should not punish lawyers and law firms for the clients they represent, absent specific findings that such representation was illegal or unethical,” the letter read. “Punishing lawyers for their representation and advocacy violates the First Amendment and undermines the Sixth Amendment.”
March 27, 2025
Sean Campbell, news editor
USC changes DEI unifying value to ‘Community’
The University changed one of its Unifying Values, “diversity, equity and inclusion,” to “community,” citing “cultural and political disagreements” surrounding DEI in a community-wide email Thursday. In the email, the Office of the Senior Vice President of Human Resources wrote the change would make the University’s language “precise and unambiguous” to comply with federal legal guidance.
“‘Community’ better captures the breadth of our purpose and mission,” the email read. “It embodies USC’s unifying commitment that we all respect and care for members of our community. It also reinforces USC’s commitment to diversity in thought and background where ideas are vigorously researched and debated.”
March 27, 2025
Sean Campbell, news editor
USC ‘overwhelmingly likely’ to lose up to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, Provost says
University leaders, including President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman, discussed the impacts of President Donald Trump’s executive actions as well as recent University budget cuts with faculty leaders at the Academic Senate meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Guzman said it is “overwhelmingly likely” that the University will lose up to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding from current or upcoming executive actions. He said that is a reason why USC has complied with previous actions, including an information request on Chinese international students from the House of Representatives’ Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and an upcoming visit from the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.
March 21, 2025
Zachary Whalen, assistant news editor
Trump signs executive order to dismantle Department of Education
President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education Thursday morning.
“With today’s action, we take a significant step forward to give parents and states control over their children’s education,” McMahon wrote in a Department of Education press release Thursday. “Taxpayers will no longer be burdened with tens of billions of dollars of waste on progressive social experiments and obsolete programs.”
March 19, 2025
Zachary Whalen, assistant news editor
House committee requests information on Chinese national students at USC
The House of Representatives’ Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter to President Carol Folt on Wednesday requesting information on the 5,993 Chinese national students at USC. The committee wrote that Chinese national students in research-based fields could pose a threat to national security.
“America’s student visa system has become a Trojan horse for Beijing, providing unrestricted access to our top research institutions and posing a direct threat to our national security,” the committee wrote.
March 12, 2025
Sean Campbell, news editor
Government sends letter to USC over antisemitism claims
USC was among 60 universities “under investigation for antisemitic discrimination and harassment” that received a letter from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights warning them of potential “enforcement actions” if they are found to not be protecting Jewish students, according to a Monday Department of Education press release.
The Office for Civil Rights enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for schools that receive federal funding from the Department of Education. USC receives around $1.35 billion in federal funding, according to an FAQ page on the University’s website.
Feb. 28, 2025
Lauren Kim & Adam Young, breaking news writers
The Office of Inclusion and Diversity integrates into Culture Team
The University is integrating the Office of Inclusion and Diversity into its Culture Team to “foster collaboration tied to our culture work,” Provost Andrew Guzman and Senior Vice President of Human Resources Stacy Giwa wrote in a community-wide message Friday afternoon.
In a statement on Wednesday, President Carol Folt wrote that the University would work to review and ensure its programs “comply fully with evolving legal requirements” amid the Trump administration’s efforts to remove “wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Guzman and Giwa’s statement made no reference to the review process.
Feb. 28, 2025
Zachary Whalen, assistant news editor
Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism will visit USC
The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism will visit USC to assess if the University violated federal law by failing to protect Jewish students and faculty from discrimination, the Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs announced in a statement Friday.
The task force will meet with University leadership, impacted students and staff, local law enforcement and community members to determine if USC requires “remedial action,” though it didn’t specify what action would be taken.
Feb. 28, 2025
Justin Ha, assistant news editor
USC reviewing ‘DEI-related’ programs for federal compliance
USC is reviewing its diversity, equity and inclusion programs after the Trump administration and the Department of Education released policies targeting DEI and race-based decision-making. In a statement released Wednesday, President Carol Folt wrote the University is working to ensure its programs “comply fully with evolving legal requirements.”
On Feb. 14, the Department of Education released a letter announcing that K-12 and higher education institutions must eliminate the use of race in “decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies and all other aspects of student, academic and campus life” or risk losing federal funding.
Feb. 28, 2025
Maybeline Tucker, news staff writer
Protesters demand USC protect undocumented students
Around 100 people gathered at the Trousdale North Entrance midday Thursday for the “Defend Our Community” protest organized by USC Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation and USC Students for Justice in Palestine — both advocacy groups not affiliated with the University — among other organizations. During the protest, Department of Public Safety officials closed the Trousdale North Entrance.
A media liaison representing SCALE, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the University, said the protest was to fight for a people’s university that served the community and its undocumented members.
Feb. 27, 2025
Karthik Krishnamurthy, assistant news editor
USC publishes update on response to executive orders
USC has continued to review recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump and provide guidance accordingly, wrote President Carol Folt in a community-wide email Wednesday morning.
Folt wrote that the University has been collaborating with research organizations, including the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the American Association of University Professors, to discuss its approach to the executive orders. She also wrote that University leadership had been in “direct contact” with federal agencies and members of Congress.
Feb. 21, 2025
Christina Chkarboul, staff development director & Nathan Elias, digital managing editor
‘Woke DEI’ database identifies $10.6 million in USC research funds
Roughly $10.6 million in National Science Foundation grants to USC researchers across 19 research projects are featured on a list of “woke DEI” research compiled by Sen. Ted Cruz and his team.
The database, published Feb. 11, targets grants funding projects in some way related to social justice, environmental justice, status, race or gender. The report is part of the senator’s stated aim to weed out DEI and “neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda,” according to a press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. Up to $4.4 million of the total funding is undistributed, which might not be distributed if the Trump Administration cuts funding for DEI-related initiatives.
Feb. 21, 2025
Karthik Krishnamurthy, assistant news editor
NSF flags DEI-related terms in research projects
Researchers at USC and nationwide have been plunged into uncertainty after a Jan. 20 executive order required the “termination of all discriminatory programs” in the federal government, including “illegal” diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives.
The executive order caused the National Science Foundation — an independent federal agency that funds research projects in areas such as mathematics, chemistry and economics — to briefly pause funding for all research as well as to flag active grants for language that may violate the executive order.
As of Feb. 2, funding for existing grants had been restored, according to a page on the NSF website.
Feb. 14, 2025
Sean Campbell, news editor
USC launches new executive order resource website
In response to executive orders from President Donald Trump, the University created an Executive Orders and Agency Memos resource page, which the Office of the Provost sent in a community-wide email Thursday afternoon.
“Our senior leadership team carefully studies each executive order to evaluate its potential impact on our campus,” the University wrote about the establishment of the resource page. “Full understanding takes time, especially when the courts are involved, so we appreciate your patience when we do not communicate as soon as an EO is released.”
Feb. 13, 2025
Zelda Fishman, news staff writer
USC to partner with various research organizations to understand NIH freeze impact
After President Donald Trump’s administration’s proposal to cap the National Institutes of Health’s funding for research, USC is working to navigate the situation with partner organizations, such as the American Hospital Association and Big Ten Academic Alliance, so they can continue working “on behalf of the public good,” the University wrote in a statement to the Daily Trojan.
“NIH-funded research has enabled USC and other major [United States] research institutions to save countless lives, cure diseases, produce technological breakthroughs, bolster our local economy, and enhance U.S. global competitiveness,” the University said. “The recent announcement about the NIH places all of this in jeopardy.”
