Latest news with #PhDProject
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UNM: We will cooperate with feds over Civil Rights complaint
People cross Central Avenue, which borders the University of New Mexico's Albuquerque campus, on Aug. 27. (Photo by Bella Davis / New Mexico In Depth) The University of New Mexico said it would cooperate with the federal investigation into alleged 'race-exclusionary practices' announced earlier this month, and is working to put together a response about the university's relationship with a nonprofit aiming to increase minority participation in PhD programs and faculty positions. On March 14, the U.S. Department of Education issued a new release informing 45 universities that the Office for Civil Rights had received a complaint that they were allegedly discriminating against graduate students based on race or ethnicity for their past affiliations with the PhD Project. The New Jersey-based nonprofit PhD Project supports Black, Hispanic and Native American students pursuing business PhD programs, and provides peer support as they become professors, according to its website. PBS reported that letters sent to other higher education institutions instated a March 31 deadline for universities to submit information about their relationship to the nonprofit. However, UNM's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair told Source NM she had not seen a copy of a letter from federal education officials. 'What I can share is that the University was notified that a complaint was filed with the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, related to Project PhD,' Blair said in a written statement Wednesday. 'UNM prohibits unlawful discrimination and will cooperate with OCR in its review of this matter.' Blair told Source NM the UNM administration is 'still determining the extent of its relationship with the PhD Project,' in a phone call Thursday. Blair also said she could not make anyone who had read the letter available for an interview as the university would not comment on an open investigation before issuing its formal response. A spokesperson for the PhD Project did not respond to questions regarding the organization's relationship with UNM, but issued the following statement on behalf of the nonprofit. While college student populations have become increasingly diverse in the past 20 years — especially Hispanic and Latino students, who doubled their share of admissions to approximately 21.2% of the population, according to a 2024 report from the higher-ed think tank American Council on Education. However, enrollment of white students (40.6%) and Asian students (61.6%) remain 'far above' other racial and ethnic groups. Higher education faculty are less diverse than student bodies. The latest federal data from 2022 reports that 72% of all faculty at post-secondary institutions are white; 13% Asian; 7% Black; 6% Hispanic; 1% are more than one race; and the remaining 1% split between American Indian/Alaskan Native and Pacific Islanders. 'For the last 30 years, The PhD Project has worked to expand the pool of workplace talent by developing business school faculty who inspire, mentor, and support tomorrow's leaders. 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 statement concluded: 'This year, we have opened our membership application to anyone who shares that vision. The PhD Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms, which remains our goal today.' Source NM has filed public information requests at both the federal and state level for the complaint against UNM, as well as for the letter informing UNM of the complaint. The complaint comes amid a period of uncertainty for higher education as President Donald Trump and other Republicans move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education fully, while also threatening to pull universities' funding for continuing programs to increase diversity, equity and inclusion. The Department of Education touches nearly every level of education in the U.S., from issuing grant funds to lower-income schools, to administering loans, grants and work-study funds for college attendees. The investigation also follows a 'Dear Colleague' letter from federal education officials stating that universities must 'cease using race preferences and stereotypes as a factor in their admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, sanctions, discipline, and other programs and activities' or face the loss of federal funding. An FAQ on that letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights includes — as its first FAQ — information on where to file discrimination complaints. Earlier this month, President Garnett Stokes, in a weekly newsletter to students, said the university will continue to 'monitor and review' UNM's policies and provide updates on the President's webpage. 'To avoid amplifying uncertainty or disrupting our work unnecessarily, we have established a general response philosophy that we will only respond to specific and actionable federal requirements or actions, says a statement posted to website. 'We will avoid making rapid changes to university policies and programs where not clearly warranted.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PhD Project CEO Speaks: ‘We're Not Backing Down'
Alfonzo Alexander is only a couple of months into his job as CEO and president of The PhD Project, but he finds himself leading the organization through the most turbulent chapter in its 31 nonprofit is under federal investigation by the Trump administration's Department of Education, facing allegations it and dozens of the schools it worked with engaged in race-exclusionary practices that violate Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Several schools that have supported the organization in past have publicly disavowed it. Asked what it's like to become a target of conservative activists, who began attacking the PhD Project in January as part of a broader effort to discredit and dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs across U.S. higher education, 'It's uncertain. It's scary,' Alexander admits. 'But we're focused on doing what's right, and we believe we'll be stronger for it.' A 20% HIT TO THE NONPROFIT'S FINANCES PdD Project president & CEO Alfonzo Alexander: 'We're tightening our belts, but we're not giving up on any of our partners. We're working to help them understand who we are now' Launched in 1994, The PhD Project has helped increase the number of Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic American, and Native American professors in U.S. business schools from just 294 to more than 1,700. Of those, over 1,300 are currently teaching, and another 250 are enrolled in business Ph.D. programs. The nonprofit hosts an annual conference — held this year in Chicago — designed to introduce underrepresented professionals to academic careers. It also provides support for doctoral candidates through graduation and into faculty life. The Department of Education's investigation, announced March 10, names 45 business schools and universities affiliated with The PhD Project, including Yale, Cornell, MIT, NYU, and Berkeley. It claims the nonprofit's programming and partnerships may unlawfully limit participation based on race. Conservative critics have gone so far as to accuse the organization of 'racial segregation.' Several schools, including Arizona State, Iowa, Kentucky, and Wyoming, have withdrawn their support. In all, about 20% of institutional partners have stepped back, forcing the nonprofit to confront both financial and reputational fallout. 'WE'RE BROADENING OUR TALENT PIPELINE' Alexander, who officially took the helm as The PhD Project's CEO and President in January after years of working with the nonprofit, says the organization had already begun reexamining its policies before the investigation was announced. In response to growing political pressure, it has updated its mission and vision statements and removed race and ethnicity from its application criteria. 'We're broadening our talent pipeline,' he tells Poets&Quants in an interview Tuesday (March 25). 'We're now focused on outcomes, not identity. The mission is to expand the pool of workplace talent by developing business school faculty who encourage, mentor, and support tomorrow's leaders.' Saying the Department of Education appears to be acting on outdated information, Alexander is confident that the organization's changes will satisfy legal scrutiny. 'We are compliant with current federal guidelines, and we opened up this year's conference to applicants from a wide range of backgrounds,' he says. But the situation has taken a toll. 'We're going to have to seek new funding sources,' he acknowledges. The PhD Project has been reported to have a total budget of around $2 million, before the impact of the current controversy. 'We're tightening our belts, but we're not giving up on any of our partners. We're working to help them understand who we are now.' STAYING THE COURSE Despite the challenges, Alexander, remains optimistic. Since its inception, The PhD Project has achieved remarkable success: 1,700 graduates, a 90% Ph.D. completion rate (compared to a national average of 70%), and a 97% rate of graduates entering academia. Its network includes 71 current or former business school deans and eight university presidents. 'That's impact,' says Alexander, who came to lead The PhD Project after 17 years at the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, the last six as its chief ethics and diversity officer. 'And it's exactly why this work must continue.' He also says that along with the increased scrutiny of the past two months, support from individuals and institutions has been overwhelming. 'We've received emails, donations, social media messages, blog posts — people sharing what this organization has meant to them,' he says. 'Even those who had to pause their support have done so apologetically.' Alexander sees the current crisis as an opportunity. 'We're resetting,' he says. 'We're developing new programs that comply with federal law but still reflect our mission of cultivating talent and excellence. A year or two from now, we'll look back and say: we came through this stronger.' For now, The PhD Project is staying the course. 'We believe in what we do. We believe in the power of education, representation, and mentorship,' Alexander says. 'And we're not backing down.' DON'T MISS and The post PhD Project CEO Speaks: 'We're Not Backing Down' appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Clemson among 40 universities under Title VI investigation
CLEMSON, S.C. (WSPA) – Over 40 universities including Clemson University are under investigation for alleged racial discrimination. The Department of Education (DOE) launched a Title VI investigation of the Civil Rights Act as part of President Donald Trump's campaign to end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs that his officials said exclude White and Asian American students. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in education programs and activities. The department announced the new investigations Friday, one month after issuing a memo warning schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over 'race-based preferences' in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life. Clemson is being investigated for its partnership with the PhD Project. The PhD Project is a nonprofit that aims to increase the number of underrepresented students such as Black, Hispanic and Native Americans who get degrees in business schools across the country to diversify the business world. The DOE has notified all schools involved in the program with the organization. Officials said that the group limits eligibility based on race and that colleges that partner with it are 'engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.' Clemson officials said the university is cooperating and committed to following federal, state and local regulations. The university is the only South Carolina school listed in the particular investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
UNT under federal DEI investigation
The University of North Texas is among roughly 45 universities under federal investigation over allegations that they participated in "race-exclusionary practices." Why it matters: The investigation is part of a broader Trump administration push to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, which have been repeatedly targeted since President Trump entered office. A Texas law that took effect last year bans public universities from maintaining offices and programs that support historically underrepresented groups, including people of color or members of the LGBTQ community. State of play: The schools are being investigated for possibly violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin at federally funded institutions, the U.S. Department of Education said. The schools are being accused of violating the law by working with The PhD Project, an organization the education department says "purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities but limits eligibility based on the race of participants." Threat level: Schools found to be in violation of Title VI could lose federal funding. Context: The PhD Project was founded in 1994 to increase diversity in business schools. Catch up quick: Gov. Greg Abbott threatened the Texas A&M University president's job earlier this year on claims the school was violating state law banning DEI programs. The university typically sent people to the PhD Project's annual conference, and the school's lawyer found the conference would be allowed under the law's recruitment exemptions, per the Texas Tribune. Other public colleges, including the University of Texas and UNT, participated in the conference in the past but won't this year. A&M ultimately changed plans to send anyone to the conference. Zoom in: UNT says it is cooperating with the Department of Education investigation and is no longer affiliated with the PhD Project. The big picture: Texas is one of multiple states passing anti-DEI laws to prohibit diversity programs in public schools and colleges.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two Texas universities under federal investigation over DEI, Trump administration says
Two Texas universities are being investigated by the Trump administration for engaging with a program that allegedly uses preferential treatment based on race, the U.S. Education Department announced Friday. Rice University and the University of North Texas in Denton were both on the list of 45 institutions under investigation for working with the PhD Project, an organization helping minority students. The PhD Project has existed for 31 years and seeks to help underrepresented and minority students access coveted doctoral and leadership programs. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 63.1% of doctoral degrees awarded in 2020-21 were to white students. Black, Asian, Hispanic and Pacific Islander students made up less than 13% of doctoral graduates. Texas A&M University withdrew from the PhD Project's annual conference after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened A&M President Mark Welsh's job on X following conservative activist Christian Rufo posting that the conference seemingly was only open to nonwhite and non-Asian scholars, according to a screenshot of the now-closed conference application. More: Here's why Gov. Abbott threatened Texas A&M president's job, and how the school responded The conference, set for March 20-21, helps prospective doctoral students understand the steps to take to get a doctorate and provides networking opportunities with professional and college leaders, according to the program's website. The U.S. Education Department said its Office for Civil Rights initiated the investigations under Title VI after a "Dear Colleague Letter" sent a month earlier said schools receiving federal funding must end "the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities." 'Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin," U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in the news release. "We will not yield on this commitment.' More: 'This was politics': How UT slashing its DEI programs crushed careers, halted a life's work The department also is investigating six universities for race-based scholarships and another for a program exclusive to students of a certain race. Last week, it announced investigations into dozens of universities for alleged antisemitic discrimination while also cutting its staff size in half, leaving nearly 2,000 employees without jobs and shuttering its Texas-based civil rights office More: More than 60 Texas workers laid off in U.S. Department of Education mass layoffs: records Texas Senate Bill 17 outlawed diversity, equity and inclusion in hiring, support offices, programs or support staff at public institutions of higher education beginning January 2024. The law has been met with backlash from students and college employees that said it prevented historically underserved students from obtaining needed resources. ICYMI: One year under SB 17: A timeline of how Texas' anti-DEI law swept through UT, the state The Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors said on X that the federal investigations are part of the administration's "campaign to end DEI." "We must work across the state and across public and private institutions to fight back against the growing attack," the organization's post said. The University of North Texas, the PhD project and Rice University did not respond to American-Statesman requests for comment. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Rice University, UNT among dozens under Trump investigation for DEI
