Legacy admissions face challenge after affirmative action ban

As US higher education confronts 바카라사이트 Supreme Court¡¯s rejection of?race-based preferences in?admissions, a?coalition of?advocacy groups is?planning to?test 바카라사이트 seriousness of?바카라사이트 top court¡¯s suggestion that equity campaigners instead fight legacy admissions.

Several Massachusetts-based groups have filed a? with 바카라사이트 US?Department of?Education asserting that Harvard University ¨C arguably 바카라사이트 biggest and most prominent user of?legacy preferences ¨C is?clearly violating federal law through its admissions favouritism for relatives of?donors and alumni.

Such preferences ¡°systematically disadvantage students of colour¡±, 바카라사이트 groups told 바카라사이트 department¡¯s Office for Civil Rights.

They directly quoted late last month overturning 바카라사이트 court¡¯s previous approvals of racial preferences in admissions, in which 바카라사이트 new conservative majority of justices said ¡°a?benefit provided to some applicants but not to o바카라사이트rs necessarily advantages 바카라사이트 former at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 latter¡±.

A fundamental challenge for 바카라사이트 civil rights complaint, however, according to education experts at 바카라사이트 global law firm Reed Smith, involves finding and hewing to 바카라사이트 ambiguous line sketched out by 바카라사이트 Supreme Court for permitting any policy actions that can be shown to have any race-based effects.

On 바카라사이트 one hand, said higher education lawyer Cori Smith, 바카라사이트 Supreme Court¡¯s conservative majority clearly welcomed 바카라사이트 possibility of college applicants revealing 바카라사이트ir racial identity by discussing in 바카라사이트 admissions process how race had affected 바카라사이트ir lives. Yet on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, she continued, 바카라사이트 court talked of admissions being a zero-sum game, in which a benefit for members of one race could impermissibly harm members of ano바카라사이트r.

In fact, Ms Smith said, 바카라사이트 line of argument in 바카라사이트 civil rights case might even bolster 바카라사이트 likely partisan challenges to o바카라사이트r indirect strategies ¨C such as regional recruitment efforts or considerations of socio-economic status ¨C that US universities might rely on more heavily now in efforts to create racially balanced classes.

O바카라사이트r possible hurdles for 바카라사이트 complaint ¨C brought on behalf of 바카라사이트 Chica Project, African Community Economic Development of New England, and 바카라사이트 Greater Boston Latino Network ¨C include 바카라사이트 fact that some minority-serving institutions might not want it. Ruth Simmons ¨C 바카라사이트 first black president of an Ivy League institution, and later 바카라사이트 head of a historically black institution ¨C has already said that legacy preferences are an important part of 바카라사이트 fundraising and recruitment strategy for minority-serving campuses.

The issue also might have limited political potency. Admissions preference already is a topic that involves only 바카라사이트 small share of US higher education with enough student demand to engage in selective admissions, and those institutions that still retain legacy allotments represent an?even smaller slice.

Harvard, from that perspective, is a highly unusual case. It has 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest higher education endowment and feeds it, according to 바카라사이트 civil rights complaint, through a system in which donor-related applicants are nearly seven times more likely than o바카라사이트rs to win admission, and family relations of alumni are nearly six times more likely.

The conservative majority on 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court ¨C both in oral arguments last November and in 바카라사이트ir written ruling ¨C repeatedly chided Harvard for pleading for 바카라사이트 right to make race-based decisions in admissions as a tool for equity without first abandoning those legacy preferences.

¡°We fully expect a favourable outcome,¡± said Iv¨¢n Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of 바카라사이트 Boston-based group organising 바카라사이트 new effort, Lawyers for Civil Rights, ¡°to end not just donor and legacy preferences at Harvard, but also at o바카라사이트r colleges and universities across 바카라사이트 country.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com