Dear Cleveland Office for Civil Rights:

The University of Michigan (University) is legally required to enforce Title IX’s

prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex as a recipient of federal financial
assistance. In fact, the University regularly certifies to the Department of Education that
it is actively enforcing all federal civil rights laws including Title VI and Title IX. And yet
the University is actively operating, offering and promoting a fellowship program that
discriminates on the basis of sex in violation of Title IX, please see details of that
discriminatory program below.

Please investigate the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business

(University) for discriminating on the basis of sex by illegally excluding non-female
MBA students from the single-sex, female-only Forte MBA Fellowship program that is
listed at this UM website:

From the August 19, 2021, University press release “Michigan Ross Expands
Partnership with the Forté Foundation, Giving Executive, Online, and Weekend MBA
Women Business Leaders the Opportunity for Fellowship Awards”

The Ross School of Business was a founding partner of the Forté Foundation in
2003, playing a key role in creating an alliance of business schools working to
advance underrepresented students and women in MBA programs.

Since then, Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA incoming students have benefited
from receiving Forté Fellowships as well as additional networking and career
advancement opportunities. This year, the partnership between Michigan Ross
and the Forté Foundation is officially expanding to include the school’s Weekend,
Online, and Executive MBA programs. This will provide the opportunity for those
programs to award scholarships and have students be engaged in the
foundation’s resources and programs. 

Each year, Michigan Ross and other partner business schools nominate women
MBA applicants, who demonstrate exemplary leadership and a commitment to
elevating women in business, for Forté Fellowships. In addition to the
scholarship funding, the Forté Foundation connects fellows with their incredible
network of over 50,000 talented business leaders and offers immediate exposure
to prime companies such as Blackstone, J.P. Morgan, Bain & Co., and
Bloomberg.  

Below, hear from the incredible women business leaders who were named
2021 Forté Fellows from the Michigan Ross Executive, Weekend, and Online
MBA programs. 
Please note that all of the current nine Forte Foundation fellows at the University are
female, which is a requirement of receiving the funding.  

Please also note that the University is listed on the Forte Foundation website as an MBA
Partner.

The University uses its resources to promote the single-sex, female-only Forte
Fellowship program, it is actively and solely responsible for the student selection
process that is only open to female MBA students (and illegally excludes all non-
females) and is therefore actively discriminating on the basis of sex and gender identity
in violation of Title IX. Further, it is evident from the Forte Foundation website that the
organization only promotes and supports the advancement of female students and
excludes and discriminates against non-female students, e.g.,

Our Mission: Launch women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to
business education, professional development, and a community of successful
women.

We strive to build an inclusive culture of exceptional experiences where

everyone who identifies as a woman is empowered to be the type of leader
and role model to which they aspire.

We offer those who identify as women our enthusiastic support and help
them leverage our resources, community, and programs throughout their career
journey from undergrad to CEO.
 
As a partner with the Forte Foundation, the University illegally discriminates on the
basis of sex and gender identity by providing scholarship funding (fellowships)
exclusively for female MBA students (Forte Fellows Program) while illegally
excluding and discriminating against non-females. The University also promotes the
Forte Foundation MBA Launch program and other Forte programs that operate
exclusively for females. Please investigate the University for violating Title IX’s
prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex and gender identity. 

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