The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating over 50 colleges and universities for potentially violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, according to a press release.
The first bracket of 45 institutions is being investigated for their partnership with “The Ph.D. Project,” a nonprofit aimed at increasing students’ access to postdoctoral programs. Program eligibility is limited based on the race of the students, according to the release.
The second set of six institutions face potential Title VI violation for their use of race-based scholarships. One more institutions is being probed for “allegedly administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race.”
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “We will not yield on this commitment.”
The department is beginning to crack down on all race-related and DEI initiatives across higher education and K12 since issuing an updated Dear Colleague letter last month. It cites the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard outlawing race-based admissions policies in higher education as its legal basis.
The Office of Civil Rights is also investigating potential Title VI violations across 60 institutions for antisemitic harassment and discrimination. Columbia University risks losing $400 million in federal funding unless it dramatically overhauls its academic programming, AP reports.
Universities under investigation “for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs” include:
- Arizona State University – Main Campus
- Boise State University
- Cal Poly Humboldt
- California State University – San Bernadino
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Clemson University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- Emory University
- George Mason University
- Georgetown University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Montana State University-Bozeman
- New York University (NYU)
- Rice University
- Rutgers University
- The Ohio State University – Main Campus
- Towson University
- Tulane University
- University of Arkansas – Fayetteville
- University of California-Berkeley
- University of Chicago
- University of Cincinnati – Main Campus
- University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
- University of Delaware
- University of Kansas
- University of Kentucky
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- University of Nebraska at Omaha
- University of New Mexico – Main Campus
- University of North Dakota – Main Campus
- University of North Texas – Denton
- University of Notre Dame
- University of NV – Las Vegas
- University of Oregon
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Utah
- University of Washington-Seattle
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Wyoming
- Vanderbilt University
- Washington State University
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Yale University
The Office of Civil Rights is investigating these schools for alleged race-based scholarships and race-based segregation include:
- Grand Valley State University
- Ithaca College
- New England College of Optometry
- University of Alabama
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- University of South Florida
- University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community Medicine
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