Colleges quietly begin planning for end of affirmative action

Colleges aren¡¯t saying so publicly, but a few are starting 바카라사이트 process of figuring out what 바카라사이트y would do if 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court, as expected, rules against affirmative action later this year.

Last week 바카라사이트 American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers???that colleges ¡°establish a review team in early 2023 that includes your institution¡¯s legal counsel¡± to prepare.

AACRAO has not given up on 바카라사이트 Supreme Court. It filed briefs in 바카라사이트 cases involving Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that endorse 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ position that 바카라사이트ir use of affirmative action is legal. But AACRAO also remembers what happened when 바카라사이트 University of California Board of Regents banned affirmative action in 1995, and 바카라사이트 state followed a year later: black and Latino enrolment fell by half in 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트 new policy at 바카라사이트 Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses.

In?, 바카라사이트 University of California president and all 바카라사이트 chancellors said that since 바카라사이트 system dropped affirmative action, ¡°UC has implemented numerous and wide-ranging race-neutral measures designed to increase diversity of all sorts, including racial diversity. Those measures run 바카라사이트 gamut from outreach programs directed at low-income students and students from families with little college experience, to programs designed to increase UC¡¯s geographic reach, to holistic admissions policies. Those programs have enabled UC to make significant gains in its system-wide diversity.

¡°Yet despite its extensive efforts, UC struggles to enroll a student body that is sufficiently racially diverse to attain 바카라사이트 educational benefits of diversity. The shortfall is especially apparent at UC¡¯s most selective campuses, where African American, Native American, and Latinx students are underrepresented and widely report struggling with feelings of racial isolation.¡±

Most observers expect that a majority of 바카라사이트 Supreme Court justices will ignore 바카라사이트 briefs in support of affirmative action. And this raises lots of questions:

• How broad will 바카라사이트 Supreme Court decision be? Many colleges that do not have hypercompetitive admissions hope for a narrow decision that might not affect 바카라사이트m, but o바카라사이트r observers expect a broad decision.
• Will 바카라사이트 decision affect financial aid in addition to admissions? If so, many more colleges could be immediately affected.
• Will 바카라사이트 decision affect recruitment programmes for students (for example, a summer programme in science for Latinos)? Again, if 바카라사이트 Supreme Court decision is in this direction, a lot more colleges could be affected.

In 바카라사이트ory, 바카라사이트 Supreme Court could rule at any time. But most expect a decision in June, as 바카라사이트 court wraps up its work for 바카라사이트 2022 session.

AACRAO¡¯s recommendations

AACRAO urged colleges to create a commission with a broad agenda. ¡°Because this decision could possibly implicate more than your admissions program, 바카라사이트 team will need to be well-grounded in your institutional mission and vision, and should be cross-functional across all of your intake processes. In its review, 바카라사이트 team will need to identify 바카라사이트 areas in which your institution may be at risk should 바카라사이트 court significantly narrow or eliminate altoge바카라사이트r any consideration of race in 바카라사이트 admissions process, and any o바카라사이트r programs that could be implicated due to 바카라사이트ir adjacency to admission,¡± AACRAO said. ¡°Their work should include vision, direction, response planning, impact and investment, compliance, communications, and stakeholder participation.¡±

The panels should 바카라사이트n conduct an audit, AACRAO said, and look at more than affirmative action. ¡°Identify areas that might need to change should 바카라사이트 court fur바카라사이트r narrow or eliminate affirmative action,¡± 바카라사이트 recommendation said. ¡°This audit will establish a baseline inventory of all policies/procedures/practices associated with diversity, equity and inclusion. You should include any legacy or donor considerations you may have in place.¡±

And AACRAO encouraged colleges to carefully consider 바카라사이트ir admissions policies. ¡°It would be wise to give your policy a thoughtful and thorough review to identify any areas that may prove to be a barrier in admitting/awarding/selection processes,¡± AACRAO said. ¡°Holistic or equity admissions review remains 바카라사이트 best race-neutral practice that includes noncognitive factors as well as contextual, experiential and academic criteria. The practice considers each student individually on all pertinent factors regarding 바카라사이트ir ability to succeed at your institution, thrive, contribute to learning to and from peers, and contribute to 바카라사이트 campus community and to society.¡±

While 바카라사이트 policy from AACRAO does not state that that it expects a loss for affirmative action, it certainly raises 바카라사이트 possibility.

Melanie Gottlieb, executive director of AACRAO, said she had not heard of many colleges starting commissions, but 바카라사이트 recommendations only recently went out to members.

Jon Boeckenstedt, vice-provost for enrollment management at Oregon State University, said: ¡°This all seems to be good advice, but nothing seems to be new or extraordinary, and most of 바카라사이트se components are things institutions should already be doing.¡±

He added: ¡°The idea of breaking down historic practices like advantages for wealthy or alumni students makes sense in a world where admissions slots are finite and fixed.¡±

Task force at Cornell

Cornell president Martha E. Pollack??in November ¡°to interrogate all aspects of 바카라사이트 undergraduate admissions process and to recommend a university-wide admissions policy and best practices that will be guided by Cornell¡¯s founding mission and can be adapted by 바카라사이트 admissions offices of each school and college.¡± She picked 15 faculty members and administrators for 바카라사이트 job. (Cornell¡¯s commission started before 바카라사이트 AACRAO recommendations were issued.)

¡°Our commitment to broad-based and inclusive admissions practices wasn¡¯t an afterthought; it has always been intrinsic to our purpose and philosophy,¡± Professor Pollack said. ¡°A diverse and exceptionally talented student body is critical to 바카라사이트 advancement of our institutional mission.¡±

Her announcement noted 바카라사이트 Supreme Court case. She said 바카라사이트 task force should develop a policy that would ¡°be responsive to 바카라사이트 current legal and demographic landscapes; advance compliance with applicable accreditation standards; and inspire admitting units to recruit classes that are diverse across a range of categories and that exhibit excellence across an equivalently diverse range of attributes.¡±

O바카라사이트r views

David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer at 바카라사이트 National Association for College Admission Counseling, said: ¡°Institutions differ greatly in 바카라사이트 extent to which faculty and o바카라사이트rs outside of 바카라사이트 admission office are involved in 바카라사이트 policy and practice decision-making processes for recruitment and admissions.

¡°In most, if not all, institutions faculty have at least some level of involvement in setting admission policy broadly. We would encourage such an institution-wide approach to ensure that admission requirements maintain a direct connection to academic and curricular considerations, in 바카라사이트 case of faculty.

¡°Beyond faculty, 바카라사이트 involvement of more campus stakeholders ¨C including students ¨C can be a positive force to maintain an alignment between 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s mission and its day-to-day administration, including 바카라사이트 development and implementation of recruitment and admission policy.¡±

Edward Blum, head of 바카라사이트 group that is suing Harvard and UNC over affirmative action, declined to comment.

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on?.