Vice President Joe Biden speaks during an event on protecting students from sexual assault at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building April 29, 2014 in Washington, DC.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has taken the unprecedented step of releasing the names of the 55 colleges and universities currently facing a Title IX sexual abuse investigation.

The release comes two days after a White House task force promised greater government transparency on sexual assault in higher education.