Last week, Auburn's student paper, The Plainsman, detailed shocking allegations of mismanagement and misconduct in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
The story, "Office of Undergraduate Admissions under scrutiny for alleged illegal actions, mass exodus of staff," includes images of a former staffer's resignation letter as well as portions of a transcript of a staff meeting.
The Plainsman's report described a "mass exodus" of staff, saying that when their reporting began last November, there had been eight resignations, with that number ballooning to 15 by the time the story was published. "The catalyst struck in March 2024 when Phil Verpil was hired into his current position as executive director of undergraduate admissions, serving as assistant vice president of enrollment management. He reports directly to Joffery Gaymon, Auburn's vice president of enrollment."
The story indicated that the turnover has impacted the experience level of those tasked with the process, "A majority of the 15 former employees held positions in upper and middle management in the Office of Admissions, some of whom worked in the Quad Center for more than 10 years. The total office capacity is estimated at 35 employees. According to at least one source, only five of the positions have been filled, and according to Auburn salary data, there are currently 23 employees in the undergraduate admissions department," the Plainsman reported.
One aspect of the report that could put the University in the crosshairs of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) stems from the accusation, "At least four people interviewed said that Verpil seemed to be intentionally targeting, recruiting and admitting students based on race and other information that was 'unethical and potentially illegal' to review as a college admissions employee."
In March, the OCR announced investigations into over 50 universities nationwide, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, for what they described as violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964).
"The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination," said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. "The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination; today's announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes. Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment."
According to a letter shared with the Plainsman, Human Resources placed three senior-level employees on administrative leave during an investigation that later cleared them of any wrongdoing. Before their complete exoneration, however, these employees were required to miss a critical period of the admissions process, leaving it vulnerable to potential problems.
The report said, "Because these employees were placed on administrative leave in the early fall, none of them contributed to the admissions committee review process for the 2025-2026 school year. Verpil put admissions advisors, some of whom had been working at the admissions office for less than a year, on the admissions review committee in lieu of leadership."
The March OCR investigation followed a February "Dear Colleague" letter signed by Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the United States Department of Education who said, "Although some programs may appear neutral on their face, a closer look reveals that they are, in fact, motivated by racial considerations.
And race-based decision-making, no matter the form, remains impermissible. For example, a school may not use students' personal essays, writing samples, participation in extracurriculars, or other cues as a means of determining or predicting a student's race and favoring or disfavoring such students."
The report relied on sources who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the university. "Many people involved in this situation have felt retaliated against after expressing concerns over Verpil's leadership and the office's 'new direction,'" one source said.
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