UW-Madison under second investigation by Trump administration amid federal DEI crackdown
For the second time in a week, the federal education department placed the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a warning list.
The department said Friday it had opened an investigation into UW-Madison and 44 other universities nationwide over alleged racial discrimination. The notifications came exactly a month after the department issued sweeping guidance threatening to pull funding from colleges that do not eliminate all considerations of race from policies and programs.
The investigation focuses on universities' partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit promoting diversity in the workforce by helping underrepresented students earn doctoral degrees in business. The department said the program limits eligibility based on race, and colleges partnering with the organization are engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.
'Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. 'We will not yield on this commitment."
UW-Madison had not yet been formally notified of any complaint related to the PhD Project, university spokesperson John Lucas said Friday shortly before noon. If a complaint is received, the university will cooperate with any investigation.
The PhD Project did not immediately return a request for comment.
The department warned UW-Madison and dozens of other institutions on Monday about potential enforcement action it may take if they fail to protect Jewish students. UW-Madison was put on the list because of an investigation opened in early 2024 after a conservative news outlet filed a complaint.
Both warnings are part of the Trump administration's broader crackdown on higher education. Columbia University has become the poster child, seeing $400 million in grants and contracts canceled. The administration has also attempted to deport Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil. He is a legal permanent resident who took a leadership role in the pro-Palestinian protests at the university last year.
The education department slashed half of its staff earlier this week. That included at least 243 employees in the Office of Civil Rights, which enforces the antidiscrimination laws at the heart of the UW-Madison investigations.
Gov. Tony Evers joined other states Thursday in suing over the department cuts. They argue the gutting of the department effectively prevents it from carrying out responsibilities it is charged to do by Congress.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Kelly Meyerhofer covers higher education in Wisconsin. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: University of Wisconsin-Madison under federal investigation over DEI
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