UNLV on list of colleges under investigation by Trump administration

This article has been updated with a statement from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday it is investigating dozens of universities and colleges, including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, over allegations of "racial preferences and stereotypes" in academic programs or scholarships.

Forty-five schools – including Ivy League members like Yale University, state universities such as Clemson, and small private schools like Rice University – are under scrutiny for “race-exclusionary practices” in their graduate programs.

The crux of the issue, according to the Education Department’s announcement, is a partnership between these schools and The PhD Project, a nonprofit aimed at supporting traditionally underrepresented groups in academia.

UNLV is aware of the investigation, it said in a statement.

"Three former UNLV professors were participants in the mentoring program known as the PHD Project," the statement said. "Two of them are no longer with UNLV. The third person was Patricia Navarro Velez, a beloved professor who was tragically killed on our campus by a gunman on Dec. 6, 2023."In accordance with the Nevada System of Higher Education policy, UNLV is committed to and will provide equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, age, color, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran status."We cannot comment further due to the ongoing investigation."

The University of Nevada, Reno was not on the list released Friday.

Asked if it thought it could be subjected to a similar investigation, UNR said, "As more information becomes available, we will be able to make that determination. It is too early to speculate."

The latest investigation follows a letter from the Department’s Office for Civil Rights last month ordering schools to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or risk losing federal funding.

"Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement Friday. "We will not yield on this commitment."

Schools respond, defend their practices

The University of Notre Dame was among the 45 schools accused of racial discrimination in its graduate program.

Erin Blasko, Notre Dame's associate director of media relations, told The South Bend Tribune, part of the USA TODAY network, in an email, "As always, The University of Notre Dame follows the law and in no way practices or condones discrimination. As a Catholic university, we are fully committed to defending the dignity of every human person and ensuring that every person can flourish."

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Arizona State University were also included on that list.

A spokesperson for UW-Madison told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY network, that the school had not yet been formally notified of any complaint related to the PhD Project, as of Friday morning. If a complaint is received, the university will cooperate with any investigation, the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky told the Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY network, something similar.

“We are aware of the release this morning from the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. We have not received any official notification of this review," spokesperson Lindsey Piercy said. "We will continue to monitor and review this issue, cooperate with any official inquiries and, as always, comply with the law."

Arizona State University was also among the 60 schools that received a different letter earlier from the Department of Education over allegations of antisemitism on campus.

Contributing: Siobhan McAndrew, Reno Gazette Journal; Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune; Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Helen Rummel, Arizona Republic; Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal