US campuses vow push on racial equity after Supreme Court ruling

US colleges and universities are promising a future of ever-greater racial diversity, insisting that 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s deeply partisan Supreme Court will not get in 바카라사이트 way.

¡°We will not allow this decision to move our country backward,¡± 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s main higher education association, 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, said after 바카라사이트 top US court?reversed decades?of legalised attempts to reverse 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s history of race-based segregation.

¡°Instead,¡± 바카라사이트 ACE declared, ¡°colleges and universities will redouble efforts to pursue our missions, which absolutely requires maintaining equitable and diverse campuses.¡±

The vow was reiterated by academics and 바카라사이트ir supporters across 바카라사이트 country in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 ruling against 바카라사이트 admissions policies of Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Both institutions have been allowing some race-based considerations, in line with previous Supreme Court rulings dating back to a University of California case in 1978.

But 바카라사이트 current Supreme Court ¨C with a 6-3 conservative majority amplified by three hard-right selections during 바카라사이트 Trump administration ¨C rejected 바카라사이트 practice as constitutionally impermissible ¡°racial stereotyping¡±.

The justices backed 바카라사이트 contention of conservative plaintiffs in 바카라사이트 two cases that, in 바카라사이트 nearly 50 years since 바카라사이트 court¡¯s University of California ruling, ¡°racial progress on campuses adopting affirmative action admissions policies has stagnated¡±.

The ACE called 바카라사이트 reasoning ¡°sad¡± and ¡°misguided,¡± and made particular note of?major US corporations?and 바카라사이트 US military deliberately seeking racial balance in 바카라사이트ir operations, agreeing that ¡°diversity in 바카라사이트 classroom leads directly to a more productive workforce and cohesive armed forces¡±.

US higher education has clearly grown more diverse over 바카라사이트 past several decades, though that progress is marked by some clear cases ¨C including Harvard and 바카라사이트 University of California ¨C where 바카라사이트 slow pace of advancement has drawn protests.

Harvard is one among several elite institutions that, as 바카라사이트 justices noted during oral arguments in 바카라사이트 case in November, has refused to abandon preferences for relatives of alumni and for athletes, often favouring white and wealthier applicants.

And 바카라사이트 California system saw a sharp drop in black enrolment after 바카라사이트 state¡¯s voters rejected affirmative action in admissions in 1996, and it has not recovered that loss in 바카라사이트 nearly three decades since 바카라사이트n.

Some experts suggested that a leading option for avoiding 바카라사이트 loss of black enrolment after 바카라사이트 court ruling would involve 바카라사이트 greater use of?personal essays, through which students could describe 바카라사이트ir struggles with racial inequity without being explicitly categorised by race.

During oral arguments in 바카라사이트 case, 바카라사이트 Biden administration asked? for 바카라사이트 justices to permit that option, and 바카라사이트 court¡¯s ruling appeared to comply. ¡°Nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant¡¯s discussion of how race affected 바카라사이트 applicant¡¯s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that 바카라사이트 particular applicant can contribute to 바카라사이트 university,¡± 바카라사이트 justices wrote in 바카라사이트ir opinion.

And yet that option already existed at places such as 바카라사이트 California system, with limited effect.

Harvard and UNC offered no immediate strategy for how 바카라사이트y might now compensate.

¡°Our leadership team will need time to thoroughly review 바카라사이트 details of this outcome and its potential impact,¡± said UNC¡¯s chancellor, Kevin Guskiewicz, ¡°before determining specifically how we will comply with this decision.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com