Notre Dame has agreed to end its participation in The Ph.D. Project, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights announced in Feb. 19 press release.
In March, the Department of Education announced an investigation into 45 institutions of higher education for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964) by engaging with The Ph.D. Project. The report said the organization “purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
Notre Dame is one of 31 universities that have signed resolution agreements with the department. According to the press release, the institutions had either already terminated their relationships with The Ph.D. Project or agreed in their resolution agreements to end their memberships or partnerships.
The release specified that the Office for Civil Rights had previously concluded the institutions violated Title VI.
“Each institution also agreed to conduct a review of their partnerships with external organizations to identify any that violate Title VI by restricting participation based on race,” the report read.
The University addressed the investigation in a statement to The Observer.
“We resolved the matter with the Department of Education, and reaffirm Notre Dame’s commitment to nondiscrimination on the basis of race in accordance with the law. As a Catholic university, we are fully committed to defending the dignity of every person and promoting the flourishing of all,” the University statement read.
It is not clear whether Notre Dame had previously severed ties with The Ph.D. Project or agreed to do so in its resolution agreement. A database of resolution agreements available on the Department of Education’s website includes an entry for Notre Dame from Feb. 18. Links to the agreement and a letter from the DOE to the University led to a “Page not found” notice.
“This is the Trump effect in action,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in a statement included in the release. “Institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation. We are hopeful that other institutions with similarly discriminatory practices will follow suit, paving the way for a future where we reject judging individuals by the color of their skin and once again embrace the principles of merit, excellence, and opportunity.”
Fourteen institutions remain in negotiations with the OCR to end the investigation.
