Clemson University staff attend The Ph.D. Project’s annual conference. Clemson is among 45 colleges under federal investigation for its business school’s partnership. (Photo provided by Clemson University)
Clemson University is among 45 colleges nationwide under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for its partnership with an organization that aims to increase the number of Black, Hispanic and Native American doctoral students and professors within the country’s business schools.
The federal agency’s Office for Civil Rights investigation launched the probe into Clemson and other schools “allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs” by partnering with an organization called The Ph.D. Project, according to a Friday statement from the Department of Education.
The agency will determine whether membership in the organization constitutes a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in education programs and activities receiving federal funding, the statement said.
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If found in violation, Clemson could lose federal funds, including eligibility for Pell Grant and student loan programs. Clemson is the only college in South Carolina on the list.
“Clemson is committed to ensuring compliance with all federal, local and state regulations,” according to a statement from the university, adding that administrators will work with the federal agency to provide a response.
The investigation comes amid a broader pushback by President Donald Trump’s administration against “diversity, equity and inclusion” practices.
“Today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the statement. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.”
The Ph.D. Project’s mission is “to increase workplace diversity by increasing the diversity of business school faculty who encourage, mentor, support, and enhance the preparation of tomorrow’s leaders,” according to its most recent annual report. The organization does this by creating a professional network for business professionals from underrepresented minority groups who may want to leave the board room to pursue a career in academia.
Universities that partner with the organization pay a $5,000 annual membership fee, according to paperwork on the organization’s website.
That membership allows schools to post job openings for professorships on The Ph.D. Project’s jobs board and attend the group’s annual conferences to recruit potential students.
A 2018 article from Clemson touted the school’s attendance of The Ph.D. Project’s annual conference and the opportunity to pitch the Clemson experience to some 300 aspiring business doctoral students.
“Not only does it enable us to recruit prospective doctoral students, it helps in recruiting future faculty and puts us on a path to reaching inclusive excellence,” Clemson business school Dean Wendy York said.
The article went on to say four of the business school’s faculty members at the time had been part of The Ph.D. Project programs. Only two of those professors still teach at Clemson. The other two have since moved on to other schools.
“The program opened so many doors for me that I am compelled to do the same for others who like me might leave business and return to school,” one of the former Clemson professors, Delancy Bennett, said in the article. “The Ph.D. journey is challenging, especially for a minority because you’re a needle in a haystack among a field of haystacks.”
The Ph.D. Project, on its website, says it has 300 member colleges. It’s unclear why the U.S. Department of Education picked the 45 on the list.
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The federal education agency opened its investigation into some of those colleges following a Feb. 14 letter reminding colleges of the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision rolling back affirmative action programs in college admissions.
The letter takes the landmark court decision a step further arguing, “the Supreme Court’s holding applies more broadly. At its core, the test is simple: If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law.
Federal law thus prohibits covered entities from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life,” it continues.
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