The PhD Project aimed to support underrepresented students who are pursuing a doctoral degree in business. But ED said it discriminated against students by limiting eligibility based on race.
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All but 14 of the 45 universities placed under investigation for participating in the PhD Project and allegedly violating civil rights law have agreed to cease partnering with the organization, the Education Department announced Thursday.
The Office for Civil Rights launched the investigations last March, arguing that the PhD Project, a nonprofit organization that connects prospective business doctoral candidates from underrepresented backgrounds with academic networks, was “limit[ing] eligibility based on the race of participants.”
So by supporting or partnering with the PhD Project, OCR accused the universities of violating regulatory guidance from the department as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. (Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.)
The 31 universities that reached agreements with OCR had either already terminated their relationship with the nonprofit or have agreed to do so moving forward. They’ve also agreed to review their partnerships with all other external organizations to ensure they don’t also restrict participation based on race, according to the department.
“This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a news release. “We are hopeful that other institutions with similarly discriminatory practices will follow suit, paving the way for a future where we reject judging individuals by the color of their skin and once again embrace the principles of merit, excellence, and opportunity.”
Documents obtained by The Washington Post and a story published by the paper prior to ED’s announcement further reinforced that the terms of the agreement extend well beyond cutting ties with the PhD Project.
Before the department’s announcement, the Post reported that colleges under investigation had already ended partnerships with “a range of organizations associated with racial minority groups,” showing the broader reach of OCR’s push against the PhD Project.
For instance, the University of Kentucky flagged more than 1,200 affiliations that could put the state flagship institution at risk, saying they would be canceled or undergo “deeper review.” Ohio State University limited its support for students and faculty members attending the conferences of race-based affinity groups.
And just a day prior to announcing the PhD Project resolutions, the department agreed to end race-based criteria for the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, which is part of TRIO and focuses specifically on supporting low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students pursuing doctoral degrees.
The announcements about McNair and the PhD Project come just weeks after the Education Department announced that it was dropping its appeal in a lawsuit that challenged the regulatory guidance that spurred these investigations. The guidance document, known as a Dear Colleague letter, declared all race-based scholarships, student support services and programming illegal based on a broad interpretation of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that banned race-based admissions.
By withdrawing the appeal, the department essentially agreed to an existing ruling from a lower court that blocked the guidance after a judge found it unconstitutional. But that doesn’t mean the administration has given up on its larger goal of ending all race-based programs.
Since the appeal was withdrawn, the Trump administration has pointed to other guidance from the Department of Justice and the text of Title VI to justify its ongoing actions.
“The Department has full authority under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to target impermissible DEI initiatives that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin,” Julie Hartman, press secretary for legal affairs at the Education Department, told K–12 Dive on Feb. 4. “Title VI has always prohibited schools from racial preferencing and stereotyping, and it continues to do so with or without the February 14th Dear Colleague Letter. OCR will continue to vigorously enforce Title VI to protect all students and hold violators accountable.”
