Statement by AASCU President Charles L. Welch on Executive Order Calling for Dismantling the Department of Education 

Contact:
Kellee Edmonds
(202) 478-4662
edmondsk@aascu.org

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2025 – “We are dismayed by the administration’s executive order calling for the dismantling of the Department of Education.

The Department of Education promotes student achievement, prepares students for global competitiveness, and ensures equal access to education. States and the federal government are partners in pursuing these essential goals. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) calls on Congress to continue supporting the law authorizing the department and providing the necessary resources to fulfill its mission.  

Its efforts to establish and coordinate national policies for more than 100 million children and college students across the education continuum are fundamental for developing the necessary workforce, accompanying economic prosperity, and maximizing the United States’ national security. 

While the higher education community has been anticipating this action, we fundamentally disagree with the executive order. The administration should encourage Education Secretary Linda McMahon to work with key stakeholders in a nonpartisan approach to implement policies and strategies that further improve the nation’s elementary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions, not weaken them.” 

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The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association that represents the sector of over 500 regional public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underrepresented student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development. These are institutions delivering America’s promise.