USF faces federal DEI probe over race-based scholarships
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The University of South Florida is under increasing scrutiny from the Trump administration, which now is reportedly taking aim at a fellowship that sought to boost Black and Hispanic faculty representation.
Why it matters: It's the latest attempt by the Trump administration to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which have been repeatedly targeted since Trump came into office.
The latest: The Department of Education announced its investigations into USF and dozens of other colleges last week for what it described as "impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation."
Zoom in: The department singled out the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program, which is intended to increase African American and Hispanic faculty representation in Florida universities, per the Tampa Bay Times.
- The department alleges that the fellowship, which is available at other Florida universities, runs afoul of federal anti-discrimination law because it provides "graduate school funding exclusively for full-time doctoral students who are African American or Hispanic."
- The letter requests data from USF about the McKnight program and its participants, according to the Times.
Between the lines: DEI programs are meant to provide equal opportunities for people of color, but some Trump allies frame them instead as "race-exclusionary," Axios' Alex Thompson has reported.
- That aligns with their desire to reinterpret Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color.
Meanwhile, USF, the University of Tampa and other universities across the U.S. received a letter from the department earlier this month warning that their federal funds could be cut if they don't address allegations of antisemitic harassment on campus.
The big picture: The Trump administration targeting DEI practices comes after the Supreme Court in 2023 overturned affirmative action in college admissions.
- The Trump administration has also targeted the federal government's use of diversity and affirmative action practices.