Petition to Adopt Institution-wide Policies at Davidson College

Several weeks ago, DFTD started a petition to urge Davidson College to guard students against faculty and staff who seek to inject irrelevant, controversial material into the classroom, or their program areas. Since that petition started, we have received over 300 signatures including:


  • Hundreds of alumni from every decade ranging from the 1950’s to the 2020’s.
  • Numerous former trustees of Davidson College, including a former Chair of the Board of Trustees.
  • Numerous alumni who are faculty at other institutions.
  • Dozens of current students and their parents.
  • Current and former members of Congress.


In addition to these signatures, we had many people including current faculty, students, and alumni privately express support for the petition, but said that they were fearful of the consequences from the college if they signed.


We believe that such a strong response rate from the small number of people that we contacted is indicative of significant support among the alumni body when they’ve been made aware of our concerns. We hope the college will take this petition to the Board of Trustees and relevant faculty committees for serious consideration.


Thank you again to all who signed, and support DFTD. Your advocacy and philanthropy ensures our organization can continue to support students who wish to make Davidson a more ideological diverse campus that welcomes and celebrates robust civil discourse. 

View Petition Signatures View Petition Comments

Tracking the Removal of DEI in Higher Education

February 5, 2025
In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have faced significant challenges across higher education in the United States. In North Carolina, the University of North Carolina (UNC) System's Board of Governors repealed its DEI policy in 2024, resulting in the elimination of 59 DEI-related positions across its 17 campuses. At UNC-Chapel Hill, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion was shut down, marking a major victory for those advocating for a merit-based, politically neutral approach to education. Nationwide, similar efforts are gaining momentum, with President Donald Trump leading the charge against DEI. Legislative action has also played a role in rolling back DEI, with states like North Carolina introducing bills to ban political litmus tests in university hiring and admissions. (Find a DEI Legislation Tracker here) . As more institutions move away from DEI, these changes aim to restore academic excellence to higher education. The information below was compiled from the Chronicle of Higher Education. Read more about each individual institution HERE.

DFTD Executive Director Kenny Xu Featured on Fox News

By Savannah Damon • January 23, 2025
Kenny Xu on Fox News at Night - YouTube

Trump Delivers on His Promise to Dismantle DEI

January 21, 2025
An Inauguration Day executive order recognizes that Americans are eager to move beyond race.
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