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The crisis began in earnest with a letter issued by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on February 14th, known infamously as the “dear colleague letter.” The communication declared that all race-conscious educational programs and policies would be deemed discriminatory and illegal, setting a two-week compliance deadline. Failure to comply would initiate investigations and potential funding cuts, causing widespread panic within college administrations that rely heavily on federal financial support.