Minnesota Republicans call for investigation into U of M internship previously only open to non-white applicants

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Republicans in Washington are calling for an investigation into an internship program at the University of Minnesota.

The internship was previously only open to non-white applicants, which the university said was “in part to address the under-representation of students of color at the graduate or professional level.” 

The goal of the program, which was called the “Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program,” was to introduce students of color to the possibility of continued work at the graduate level. The university says the program has existed since the 1980s.

All four of Minnesota’s GOP representatives wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Education and the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, saying that the internship violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin for programs receiving federal financial help.

The university has since renamed the program, calling it “Pathways to Graduate School: Summer Research Program” and removed references to race. The university says it regularly revisits selection criteria to grants and scholarships to ensure they comply with Title VI, IX, and other laws.

Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, said in a statement that “while after public backlash, the U of M will now allow students of all races to apply, we are deeply concerned that this happened in the first place.”