Linda McMahon is sworn in as Secretary of Education. Photo: U.S. Department of Education
WASHINGTON D.C. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Department of Education announced on Friday it had opened discrimination investigations into more than 50 universities around the country, including several in New England.
Most of the schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Rhode Island, and Yale University, are being investigated for their partnerships with The Ph.D. Project.
The Ph.D. Project describes itself on its website as a non-profit organization that helps students earn graduate degrees in business. The Department of Education is accusing the program of limiting eligibility "based on the race of the participants."
In a statement on Friday, U.R.I. said the investigation "is not itself evidence of a violation of federal civil rights laws and regulations."
"The University works diligently to comply with the regulatory landscape," the University said. "We remain committed to our foundational values and our vital mission as a public land-grant institution."
WBZ NewsRadio has also reached out to M.I.T., Yale and The Ph.D Project for comment.
Seven other schools are being investigated for either "allegedly awarding impermissible race-based scholarships" or "allegedly administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race," according to a press release from the Department of Education.
The investigations are the latest step in the Trump administration's crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion programs that the White House has deemed discriminatory.
Friday's announcement came exactly one month after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued a memo notifying schools and colleges that they could lose federal funding if they use "race-based preferences" in decisions about things like admissions and scholarships.
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said Friday. "We will not yield on this commitment.”
The following schools are being investigated for alleged discriminatory policies in their graduate programs:
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 following schools are being investigated for alleged segregation and allegedly awarding scholarships on the basis of race:
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