Trump’s Education Department to investigate KU over alleged ‘race-exclusionary practices’
The University of Kansas is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for allegedly engaging in “race-exclusionary practices” in its graduate programs.
The Education Department’s Office For Civil Rights named KU along with 44 other universities in a Friday news release announcing the opening of investigations into schools that partnered with The Ph.D. Project, an organization that aims to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to pursue doctoral degrees in business.
The launch of the investigation comes exactly a month after the civil rights office sent a letter to schools threatening federal funding if they don’t “end the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities” in accordance with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions.
The release characterizes The Ph.D. Project as “an organization that purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
A KU informational webpage about its Doctor of Philosophy in Business degree states that the “School of Business is a proud member of The Ph.D. Project and DocNet,” another organization that promotes terminal business degrees.
“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon is quoted as saying in the release.
“. . . today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure 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.”
KU spokesperson Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said the university is “working to learn more about this investigation.”
“As Chancellor Girod shared last month following the “Dear Colleague” letter, KU’s leadership team has been assessing all university activity as called for in the letter,” Barcomb-Peterson said.
In a statement to The Star, The Ph.D. Project said recent changes to its membership application process mean anyone can now apply to participate in their program.
“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 reads. “This year, we have opened our membership application to anyone who shares that vision.”
No other universities in Kansas are among those under investigation. However, Washington University in St. Louis is included.
The announcement comes days after the Trump administration moved to eliminate roughly 50% of the Department of Education’s workforce as the president signals his desire to do away with the department completely.
KU has taken measures to rein in its diversity efforts in response to mounting pressure from Republican state lawmakers.
At the beginning of the semester, the university consolidated three campus resource centers with a combined 150-year history of serving minority students into one new center for student engagement and shrunk the footprint of its Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 12:55 PM.
