Ed. Department Opens Title VI Investigations Into Dozens Of Colleges

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

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