On Friday, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it has opened investigations into dozens of colleges across the country for alleged “race-exclusionary practices,” according to a statement. “The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.” Two New York schools appear the list of 45 colleges and universities targeted by investigations: New York University and Cornell University.
One policy that the schools have in common according to the federal agency’s statement is that they have partnered with the PhD Project, a non-profit organization that The Department of Education statement says “limits eligibility based on the race of participants.” The organization encouraged “historically underrepresented students” to obtain doctoral degrees, according to the version of its website from last year, by offering mentorship and other forms of guidance to students. That language has since been removed, and now only mentions “students from various backgrounds.” Founded in 1994, the PhD Project operated with little controversy prior to President Trump’s second term. The nonprofit has helped more than 1,500 students achieve a doctoral degree since its inception, and boasts a 90% success rate among its members, compared to a national average of 70%, according to the organization’s website.
The announcement of investigations comes a month after the Department of Education sent out what it calls the “Dear Colleague Letter,” which warned colleges and schools across the country that educational institutions must drop diversity, equity, and inclusion policies (DEI), giving them two weeks to comply. The letter cites the 2023 Supreme Court ruling which found the admissions policies of UNC Chapel Hill and Harvard to be unconstitutional. The letter expands the scope of the SCOTUS ruling, claiming without basis that it “applies more broadly” than just admissions, and could be used for any other aspect of the school’s operation where race might be considered, from financial aid to housing to graduation ceremonies. Neither Cornell nor NYU has issued a public response to the Department of Education statement as of this writing.
It remains to be seen what resources the Department of Education will have to run such a broad operation, laying off nearly two thousand employees (almost half its total staff) and shutting its offices temporarily across the country. New York and 19 other states are also suing the federal government over the cuts.
