Demands for Data on Race and the Future of College Admissions

Aired September 9, 2025

dotEDU is back for Season 7 with an examination of President Trump's demand for admissions data by race and sex and what that means for campuses. Hosts Mushtaq Gunja, Jon Fansmith, and Sarah Spreitzer—joined by ACE’s Hironao Okahana—explain what’s being requested, what’s lawful, and the need to avoid misleading metrics and protect student privacy. Plus: updates on international students, Harvard’s funding-freeze case, and the outlook on appropriations for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show:

Hosts and Guests

Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President

Government Relations and National Engagement

Jonathan Fansmith is the senior vice president for Government Relations and National Engagement at the American Council on Education (ACE), where he leads federal advocacy efforts on behalf of the nation's colleges and universities. He oversees ACE's e...

Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President

Government Relations and National Engagement

Mushtaq Gunja

Executive Director

Carnegie Classification Systems

Mushtaq Gunja serves as executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and senior vice president at ACE, where he is in charge of running and reimagining the Carnegie framework. Prior to joining ACE, Gunja served as assistant dean in academi...

Mushtaq Gunja

Executive Director

Carnegie Classification Systems

Sarah Spreitzer

Vice President and Chief of Staff

Government Relations

Sarah Spreitzer represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues. Before joining ACE, Spreitzer held senior positions in higher e...

Sarah Spreitzer

Vice President and Chief of Staff

Government Relations

Hironao Okahana

Managing Researcher & Chief of Planning and Impact

Hironao Okahana is a mission-driven professional who thrives on working to help the postsecondary sector meet its full potential as a public good and a vehicle for social change and equity. He thinks deeply and innovatively, connects ideas and people,...

Hironao Okahana

Managing Researcher & Chief of Planning and Impact

Transcript

Transcipt to come

About the Podcast

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

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See all episodes

Demands for Data on Race and the Future of College Admissions

Trump Memo on Admissions Data

International Students

Harvard Ruling

FY 2026 Appropriations

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