The U.S. Department of Education says the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University and several other universities from around the country have signed resolution agreements ending their partnerships with The PhD Project, a nonprofit that the federal government claims discriminates based on race.
Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Education vowed in early 2025 to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion within the federal government and at publicly funded institutions. About a month later, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) began investigating 45 universities for their partnerships with the PhD Project. Thirty-one of those universities have since agreed to the federal government's terms.
The PhD Project was founded in 1994 and describes itself as an organization that helps people earn doctoral degrees in business to broaden the talent pool of business school faculty and business leaders. It claims to have helped more than 1,500 students earn doctoral degrees.
The organization holds an annual two-day conference for prospective doctoral students. The OCR alleges that schools like OSU supported the event, which the OCR labeled discriminatory because it claims the conference is exclusive to Black, Hispanic and Indigenous participants.
In a statement shared with WVXU, the nonprofit defended its mission.
"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 PhD Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms, and this remains our goal today," a portion of the statement reads.
A spokesperson for Ohio State University told WVXU the university is pleased to have the issue resolved and shared a copy of the school's agreement.
The resolution outlines a list of demands that OSU must follow, which includes a review of all memberships and partnerships with external organizations to identify any that may restrict participation based on race. The university must then submit a report to the federal government and show proof that the school has formally canceled any partnerships the Department of Education has deemed discriminatory. The agreement also authorizes the OCR to visit the campus to interview staff and students, and request additional reports or data to determine whether OSU is following the terms of the agreement.
UC has not responded to WVXU's request for comment and has not addressed the investigation publicly since OCR's investigation began nearly a year ago.
The U.S. Department of Education announced the 31 agreements shortly after it formally withdrew its anti-DEI directive for K-12 schools and higher education institutions, following a federal court ruling that determined the department's directive to be unlawful.
The federal government says the OCR is in ongoing negotiations with the 14 universities that have not yet signed a resolution agreement.
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