Clemson University staff attend The Ph.D. Project's annual conference. Clemson is among 31 colleges to cut ties with the program following a federal investigation for its business school's partnership. (File photo courtesy of Clemson University)
Clemson University is among 31 colleges nationwide to sever its partnership with a program that aims to increase the number of Black, Hispanic and Native American doctoral students and professors within the country’s business schools.
Clemson’s participation in The Ph.D. Project landed the school and more than 40 other colleges under investigation last March by the U.S. Department of Education.
In a settlement agreement announced Thursday by the federal education agency, Clemson and the other colleges also agreed to conduct a full review of all external partnerships for potential violations, in addition to ending the partnership with the business school program.
The education department’s Office for Civil Rights launched the probe into Clemson and other schools for “allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs” by partnering with the organization, which the school claimed violated discrimination protections under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
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The agency threatened the colleges with potential loss of federal funds, including eligibility for Pell Grant and student loan programs.
The investigation and subsequent settlement agreements come amid a broader pushback by President Donald Trump’s administration against “diversity, equity and inclusion” practices.
“This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “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.”
The Trump administration has continuously pointed to a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision rolling back affirmative action programs in college admissions as justification for its crackdown.
In a February 2025 letter, the education agency took the landmark court decision a step further arguing, “the Supreme Court’s holding applies more broadly. At its core, the test is simple: If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law.”
According to the agency, that applies not only to admissions but to “hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.”
Clemson was the only college in South Carolina on the list for investigation.
Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
