The U.S. Department of Education is investigating alleged race-exclusionary practices in the graduate programs of two Texas universities.
The University of North Texas and Rice University are two of the 45 schools currently under investigation.
Investigations are being conducted into partnerships between these institutions and “The Ph.D. Project,” a nonprofit aiding underrepresented students in pursuing business degrees to promote diversity in the business sector in response to Title VI violation claims.
“The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination; today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes,” said U.S. 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.”
The Department of Education’s Feb. 14 letter to federally funded educational institutions clarified that federal law prohibits race-based preferences and stereotypes in admissions, hiring, compensation and other programs.
The following universities are under investigation for potentially discriminatory graduate admissions practices:
- Arizona State University — Main Campus
- Boise State University
- Cal Poly Humboldt
- California State University — San Bernardino
- 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 under investigation for allegedly offering race-based scholarships and practicing “race-based segregation”:
- 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
