Feds, SIU reach fellowship deal

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University agreed Wednesday to open all of its graduate fellowship programs to students of all demographics, staving off a lawsuit the Justice Department had threatened over three of the programs it considered discriminatory. SIU's trustees signed off on the two-year consent decree between the school and the U.S. government. The Justice Department had said the fellowships were illegally open only to specific minority and women groups.

Two of the fellowship programs have been aimed at increasing minority enrollment in graduate programs in which minorities were underrepresented. The third fellowship has been offered to women -- including whites -- and minorities who have overcome social, cultural or economic obstacles.

The settlement does not affect 28 students now enrolled in those programs, the school said.

SIU officials denied the fellowships discriminated and reiterated that Wednesday, saying the financial aid incentives promoted the university's tradition of diversity.

While admitting no wrongdoing under the consent decree, the university must report every six months on various aspects of all of its paid fellowship positions.

"We have always felt that the fellowships in question were but a small part of an overall graduate program that provides opportunities for thousands of our students, from every imaginable cultural background, to pursue graduate degrees while working at Southern Illinois University," Poshard told the board.

Roger Tedrick, the SIU board's chairman, said the deal "assures continued participation of all students currently enrolled in these programs while simultaneously opening the doors for meaningful participation of all students in all other graduate assistance programs."

While he declined to immediately discuss the SIU case, Justice Department spokesman Eric Holland said that everyone should have equal access to employmemnt opportunities.

Poshard said he also planned to establish task forces on both of SIU's main campuses -- in Carbondale and Edwardsville -- to examine the criteria used for all graduate assistance programs and ensure that "nothing in the criteria, procedures or process of review prevents or hampers the participation of women and minorities in these programs."

The university said the Justice Department intervened last year after reviewing SIU's graduate programs that include more than 2,000 students as researchers or teachers, ultimately calling into question two of the programs under SIU's control -- the Graduate Dean's and the Proactive Recruitment of Multicultural Professionals for Tomorrow, or PROMPT.

On its Web site, the university said PROMPT sought to "increase the number of minorities receiving advanced degrees in disciplines in which they are underrepresented." That program has provided tuition waivers and monthly stipends to 78 students since 2000.

The Graduate Dean's Fellowship, used by 27 students since 2000, was listed as "for women and traditionally underrepresented students who have overcome social, cultural or economic conditions."

The description for the third program targeted by the Justice Department was the National Science Foundation's Bridge to the Doctorate program.