The University of Chicago has severed its relationship with a program credited with aiding Black and Brown students pursuing doctoral degrees that the Trump administration alleges is racially discriminatory against white students.
According to a Thursday news release from the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Chicago is one of 31 universities nationwide ending its partnership with the PhD Project, an organization launched in 1994 to diversify the pool of students who pursue postgraduate degrees.
In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she hoped “other institutions with similarly discriminatory practices will follow suit.”
The University of Chicago said it had ended its relationship with the PhD Project before the school was notified that the federal government was investigating the partnership. In a statement, spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan didn’t say why the university cut ties with the program but noted that it “takes seriously its obligation to prohibit unlawful discrimination.”
McSwiggan didn’t immediately respond to follow-up questions.
The end of these partnerships is yet another example of how the Trump administration has worked to restrict diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at K-12 schools and colleges, though those efforts have not always held up in court. Recently, the Education Department ended a controversial directive that sought to limit DEI initiatives in education after a federal judge ruled the policy was unlawful.
Last year, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights launched investigations into 45 universities, including the University of Chicago, saying they were looking into whether their partnerships with the PhD Project violated the administration’s interpretation of civil rights law because the program “limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
After the investigations, the office concluded the schools had violated federal law that prohibits racial discrimination by partnering with the PhD Project. The 31 schools that severed their partnerships also agreed to conduct a review of their work with other organizations to make sure no other programs “restrict participation based on race,” according to the news release.
Despite losing these universities as partners, the nonprofit PhD Project will continue its work, a spokesperson said in a statement.
“Our vision is to create a broader talent pipeline of current and future business leaders who are committed to excellence and to each other, through networking, mentorship, and unique events,” the spokesperson wrote. “The PhD Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms, and this remains our goal today.”
Alleging that programs meant to benefit students of color discriminate against white students in higher education has been a theme of Trump’s second term.
Shortly after taking office last year, Trump took aim at scholarships and other programs designed to bolster Black, Latino and Indigenous students in higher education.
More recently, the Trump administration has offered incentives like more federal funding for colleges that sign a contract aligning with Trump’s political priorities, including banning the consideration of race and gender in admissions and hiring.