EDUCATION

University of Oregon's DEI practices under federal scrutiny amid nationwide crackdown

Eugene Register-Guard

Fifty-one universities are under investigation for allegedly violating Title VI.
This investigation follows the Trump administration's efforts to ban diversity, equity and inclusion in education.

The University of Oregon is among 51 universities under federal investigation as part of the U.S. Department of Education's broader effort to crack down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education.

The University of Oregon is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office over "racial preferences and stereotypes" in its graduate program.

UO is one of dozens of universities being investigated, with allegations that it and other institutions have violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964) for "race-exclusionary practices." According to the Education Department’s announcement, the investigation centers around the schools' partnership with The PhD Project, a nonprofit aimed at supporting traditionally underrepresented groups in academia. Additionally, seven universities are being investigated “for alleged impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation.” UO is not on that list.

This investigation follows the "Dear Colleague" letter from Feb. 14, which ordered schools to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or risk losing federal funding.

The Dear Colleague letter alleged that U.S. educational institutions have discriminated against students based on race, including white and Asian students. Locally, the Eugene School District 4J joined a national lawsuit challenging the letter.

"We take this complaint seriously," UO stated. "We have recently reviewed all of our practices and believe that the University of Oregon is in compliance with the law. We have continued to review policies and practices in light of the Administration’s Executive Orders and look forward to working with the Office for Civil Rights to resolve this complaint."

The investigation is part of a broader federal crackdown on DEI efforts in education, which escalated March 20 when President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. While details on the restructuring remain unclear, the move signals a significant shift in federal oversight of higher education institutions.

The universities under investigation for the PhD Project include:

Arizona State University – Main Campus.
Boise State University.
Cal Poly Humboldt.
California State University – San Bernadino.
Carnegie Mellon University.
Clemson University.
Cornell University.
Duke University.
Emory University.
George Mason University.
Georgetown University.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Montana State University-Bozeman.
New York University (NYU).
Rice University.
Rutgers University.
The Ohio State University – Main Campus.
Towson University.
Tulane University.
University of Arkansas – Fayetteville.
University of California-Berkeley.
University of Chicago.
University of Cincinnati – Main Campus.
University of Colorado–Colorado Springs.
University of Delaware.
University of Kansas.
University of Kentucky.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
University of Nebraska at Omaha.
University of New Mexico – Main Campus.
University of North Dakota – Main Campus.
University of North Texas – Denton.
University of Notre Dame.
University of NV – Las Vegas.
University of Oregon.
University of Rhode Island.
University of Utah.
University of Washington-Seattle.
University of Wisconsin-Madison.
University of Wyoming.
Vanderbilt University.
Washington State University.
Washington University in St. Louis.
Yale University.

The universities under investigation for race-based scholarships include:

Grand Valley State University.
Ithaca College.
New England College of Optometry.
University of Alabama at Birmingham.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
University of South Florida.
University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community Medicine.