Colleges quietly cut ties with organizations that help people of color

"Since last year, more than 100 schools have ended partnerships with the PhD Project, a group founded in 1994 to diversify the pipeline of students who aspire to become business school professors. That came after the U.S. Department of Education last March announced probes into 45 universities that partnered with the group. More than a dozen of those schools have quietly reached agreements with the administration to resolve the investigations."

"As part of the pacts, the universities promised to identify partnerships with any organization that may "restrict participation based on race" and either sever those relationships or explain why they won't, according to documents obtained by The Post. The California State University system, for instance, told the federal government that one of its campuses plans to cut ties with the Links Inc., a national volunteer service group historically composed of Black women."

"'It's terrible,' said Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president with Education Trust, an advocacy group focused on gaps in education for low-income and minority students. Groups like the PhD Project and others help provide a pathway into universities and "create a sense of belonging" for groups that have historically been left out, Del Pilar said."

The Trump administration objected to a program that helps people of color pursue doctorate degrees, triggering federal probes into university partnerships with race-focused groups. Since last year, more than 100 schools ended relationships with the PhD Project, which was founded in 1994 to diversify the pipeline for business school professors. More than a dozen universities reached agreements with the Department of Education to resolve investigations, agreeing to identify and either sever or justify partnerships that may restrict participation based on race. Several campuses flagged or canceled memberships with groups historically composed of racial minorities, raising concerns about lost pathways and belonging.

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