SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The University of Rhode Island is among 45 colleges across the U.S. that are now being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for potential violations of Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act.
The federal department announced Friday that Rhode Island’s state land-grant school may have violated Title VI by partnering with a national organization called “The Ph.D. Project.” According to the organization’s website, The Ph.D. Project is a nationwide alliance of foundations, corporations, universities, and professional and academic organizations promoting diversity in the workforce, particularly in corporate boardrooms.
The organization’s goal, it says, is to encourage African-American, Hispanic-American and Native American professionals to attain a business doctorate. The Ph.D. Project also says it provides guidance for graduates to join faculty at business schools across the country.
The education department on Friday said The Ph.D. Project limits eligibility “based on the race of the participants.” Title VI prohibits any institution that receives federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin. Institutions found to have violated Title VI could lose federal funds, USDOE says.
The USDOE investigations come after Brown University and 59 other colleges and universities across the U.S.
were put on notice by the department over possible Title VI violations. URI was not on that original list but 10 other schools did make both lists. They are: Arizona State University, Cornell University, George Mason University, Rutgers University, Tulane University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Michigan, University of Washington-Seattle and Yale University.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement the department is expanding its efforts to universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes.
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment,” McMahon said. “The department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination.”
URI in a statement said it has received notice from the federal education department and will respond to the inquiry. The department letter, URI says, states that the department’s Office of Civil Rights opening of an investigation is not evidence of a violation of federal civil rights laws and regulations.
The statement said the university works diligently to comply with the regulatory landscape and remains committed to its foundational values and mission as a public land-grant institution.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
