On Friday, the U.S. Department of Education announced it is investigating the University of North Texas and Rice University for potentially violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The allegations focus on claims that both institutions engaged in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs through their partnership with the PhD Project.

The PhD Project is an organization dedicated to enhancing diversity among business school professors by providing support to underrepresented doctoral students. The investigations into these two Texas institutions are part of a broader inquiry involving 43 universities nationwide, amid concerns regarding equality in educational opportunities.

Focus on Civil Rights and Investigative Actions

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon emphasized the department’s commitment to civil rights, stating, “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.” This directive comes in light of efforts to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from discrimination.

In conjunction with these investigations, the Department has also directed action against universities for issues including antisemitic harassment and sexual discrimination — all while managing significant workforce reductions within its civil rights office, impacting numerous Texas-based employees.

Controversy Surrounding the PhD Project

The scrutiny of the PhD Project intensified earlier this year when conservative activist Christopher Rufo publicly disclosed communications among faculty members at Texas A&M regarding their participation in a conference associated with the organization. Following this revelation, Governor Greg Abbott intervened, threatening to sanction the university’s leadership for participating.

In response, several public universities in Texas, including the University of Houston and Texas Tech University, distanced themselves from the PhD Project by either withdrawing from the conference or renouncing their affiliation. The University of North Texas clarified its position, stating it had ceased its partnership with the PhD Project earlier in 2024 and is currently complying with the investigation.

Responses from Investigated Institutions

As the investigation unfolds, both universities involved are expressing their cooperation. The University of North Texas has reiterated that it is not affiliated with the PhD Project. Meanwhile, Rice University has opted not to comment further on the proceedings.

Interestingly, Baylor University, which remains listed as a partner of the PhD Project, has not attracted the same level of scrutiny, despite it also having engaged with the organization in previous years.

Contextualizing the PhD Project’s Mission

The PhD Project was founded with the mission of increasing diversity in academia by empowering historically underrepresented individuals in business education. Recent changes to their website seem to reflect a shift in focus, now simply aiming to create more role models in business classrooms rather than explicitly emphasizing diversity.

The organization reports that it has successfully raised the number of underrepresented business professors in the United States from 294 in 1994 to over 1,700 today. However, this mission has been complicated by the backlash from critics who argue that any race-based affiliation violates Texas’s ban on diversity initiatives in public universities.