March 6, 2026
The PhD project is one of the latest casualties in the Trump administration’s DEI crackdown
Yale University and the University of Michigan are among 31 institutions withdrawing from the PhD Project, a program aimed at promoting diversity among business doctoral candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. The withdrawals come in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which claims the project violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The OCR launched the investigations last year, arguing that the PhD Project “limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
In a press release, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon praises the move, referring to it as the “Trump effect.” The leader also claims that eradicating programs that are focused on marginalized communities helps to combat racial discrimination in education.
“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.”
Some educators strongly criticized this move, arguing that it could potentially silence marginalized voices in academia.
“Any time the University of Michigan collaborates with the Trump administration is a day of shame,” Silke-Maria Weineck, University of Michigan Grace Lee Boggs Collegiate Professor of Comparative Literature and German Studies, told CBS News.
“The Trump administration’s policies are designed to roll back what little progress we have made in creating a more equitable institution. They are driven by racism, pure and simple. Every time we collaborate with them is a day of shame,” Weineck told the outlet.
Founded in 1994, the PhD Project has promoted diversity by helping more than 1,500 members from marginalized communities earn doctoral degrees. The project aims to equip its participants with insights to teach business in classrooms. Many of the program participants have gone on to land teaching and leadership roles in higher education. Black, Hispanic, and Native American candidates increased from 294 at its start to 1,700 in 2023, according to the organization’s website.
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