The by the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights for allegedly engaging in what the department calls "race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs."
In a Friday news release, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the investigations are an effort to protect students from illegal discrimination.
"The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination," McMahon said. "This 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 aren't discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes."
McMahon said students must be assessed according to merit rather than race.
"We will not yield on this commitment."
The Office of Civil Rights didn't release details of how the universities under investigation have excluded students from graduate programs based on race, but cites universities that have partnered with .
The organization helps individuals earn their Ph.Ds. to broaden the talent pipeline of current and future business leaders, according to its website. Friday's release claims that the PhD Project "limits eligibility based on the race of participants."
