A woodburned engraving on roughly planed oak wood reads "Science - Is NOT a Liberal Conspiracy". In decorative cursive "Science" is engraved with swirls reaching outward from the first and last letters, "S" and "E". Much smaller underneath follows, "Is NOT (all capitalized) a liberal Conspiracy", with a capital "C" for consipracy.

Engraved on reclaimed wood, this artwork was discovered by Michelle Chyzy at a garage sale reading “Science – Is NOT a liberal Conspiracy” and felt it deeply connected with the current funding cuts to university science and engineering programs.

DEI funding cuts could be setting Butte students up for failure

Students begin to shoulder more costs as DEI funding cuts limit resources to student support programs.

Michelle Chyzy

April 30, 2026

Columns list remaining grant values targeted for termination per students, total grant amounts, remaining grant value targeted for termination, and enrollment levels are listed for the states listed in each row. Nationally students have each lost $206 towards their grants, with $3.25 million in future grants subject to termination, and nearly 16 million undergraduates enrolled that are affected. — Federal funding to universities and the colleges that the Trump administration had targeted for termination, by state and undergraduate student population.

If someone mentioned a legislative bill called “Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” it might sound geared towards eliminating some sort of fraud or extractive policy. And probably not that “End(ing) Illegal Discrimination” meant cutting $300 billion in funding to colleges with large minority student populations and to support programs designed to ensure their success.

Written into effect by President Trump in January 2025 through the “Big, Beautiful Bill”, these cuts trickle down in 2026. Those misleading words, “End Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”, are seen now as a front for a targeted attack on sovereignty and community at universities. The same threat Butte College’s diverse community programs are not excluded.

Forced cuts on academic research in engineering and science have affected The National Science Foundation who has funded university programs since 1950. The NSF’s grant funding for students and academic programs was reduced by nearly $500 million — a 56 percent decrease — significantly limiting opportunities for marginalized students.

NSF grants grouped by trench included in their abstracts published on The Guardian from Grant Watch.

The NSF is one of at least 30 academic departments affected by the “Big, Beautiful Bill” education budget cuts, changes that threaten innovation and academic standards for an entire generation of students. Intended to “end illegal discrimination,” the directive forces marginalized students to face the academic world without proven systems of support that have been in place for decades.

THE ROADRUNNER

DEI funding cuts could be setting Butte students up for failure

THE ROADRUNNER

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