UK cuts ties with organization that sparked federal DEI investigation, president says
The University of Kentucky has formally cut ties with the organization it believes sparked the federal investigation from the U.S. Department of Education, President Eli Capilouto said Wednesday.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced investigations Friday of more than 50 universities for diversity, equity and inclusion programs “to end the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.”
UK was the only university from Kentucky included in the list of schools being investigated.
The investigations were announced one month after the Trump administration warned colleges they could lose federal funding over “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or parts of student life on campus.
Capilouto, in a statement sent to students and employees on Wednesday, said university officials believe the investigation was sparked by UK’s ties to The Ph.D. Project, a networking organization that helps doctoral students complete their degrees.
UK has “discontinued any association with the organization, given this review and the concerns raised,” he said.
“We are continuing to examine this issue, but we believe based on our initial analysis that UK’s role in this organization has been limited to attendance at an annual conference,” Capilouto said. “This conference is designed to encourage networking among schools to promote enrollment. Further, from that initial review, we do not have any doctoral students engaged with the program.”
The Department of Education has been informed, and UK will “fully cooperate with its review,” he said.
Capilouto addresses anti-DEI, tenure bills
Additionally, Capilouto addressed bills related to higher education that were passed by the Kentucky General Assembly: House Bill 4, related to diversity, equity and inclusion practices at universities, and House Bill 424, which requires an evaluation process for university employees.
House Bill 4 would dismantle all diversity, equity and inclusion programs, offices and initiatives at public higher education institutions. It now goes to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who can either sign it into law, let it become law without his signature or veto it.
Beshear criticized similar legislation in 2024.
Even if he vetoes the measure, the Republican super-majority in both chambers has the power to override his veto.
The bill would require state universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System to defund all DEI initiatives, including offices, policies and practices “designed or implemented to promote or provide preferential treatment or benefits to individuals on the basis of religion, sex, color or national origin.”
UK dissolved its Office of Institutional Diversity last year.
“We are complying with all federal and state laws and directives,” Capilouto said.
“Last fall, we announced a number of policy initiatives specifically around these issues that positioned us to be compliant with these changes, while continuing to honor our values of academic and scholarly freedom and our intent to be one community composed of many people.”
Critics of House Bill 424, which received final passage last week and was sent to Beshear, have expressed concerns about how mandated performance evaluations could impact the tenure promotion and the jobs of tenured faculty at risk in Kentucky.
They say it could make recruiting new university faculty to the state more difficult.
The bill would require public university presidents and faculty members to undergo a performance evaluation at least once every four years. It gives schools the ability to fire employees who fail to meet “performance and productivity” standards, and applies to all public universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
The review process would have to be established by each schools’ governing board by Jan. 1, 2026.
“I am confident that such a process on our campus will honor the fundamental importance of tenure in the recruitment and retention of faculty scholars,” Capilouto said. “Further, this legislation ensures that the responsibility for developing and implementing that process remains with the campus community.”