CINCINNATI — Tri-State unversities and colleges are reacting after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race cannot be a factor in college admissions.
The 6-3 decision from the Supreme Court overturns a precedent set in Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003. The Supreme Court said college affirmative action policies violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
Affirmative action policies were put in place by a number of universities to boost admissions among historically underserved and discriminated groups. Several states had since banned the practice, but it remained widely used at some of the nation's top academic institutions.
While traditional colleges and universities will no longer be allowed to consider race in admissions, America's top military academies will be able to do so.
Here's what the Tri-State's universities and colleges are saying about the Supreme Court decision:
Xavier University
As we understand today’s ruling from the Supreme Court, universities can no longer take race into consideration as an express factor in admissions. Xavier does not use race as a deciding factor when considering a prospective student's application, and therefore, today's Supreme Court opinion will not affect Xavier's admission decision process.
At Xavier, we are fortunate to have a diverse student body. Last year’s incoming student class included 24% multicultural students.
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University is aware of the US Supreme Court’s decision today regarding affirmative action in university admissions. NKU does not consider race as a factor in its admissions decisions, so today's case will not require a change to NKU’s process. We are studying the Court's decision to determine its impact, if any, on other areas of campus, and we will comply with the law.
University of Kentucky
Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a long-awaited ruling in two cases regarding the use of race in admissions in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs at higher education universities. We are still reviewing the details of the ruling, but, based on our initial understanding, it appears that the Court has restricted the consideration of race with respect to admissions and scholarships. However, it appears we can consider an applicant’s discussion of how race has affected their life.
We will continue to review this decision as we prepare to fully comply with the law as described in today’s rulings.
Miami University
In anticipation of this ruling, we have planned to carefully analyze its potential impact on our community. Miami University remains committed to inclusive excellence, and to recruiting a student body that is well-rounded, talented, and diverse across beliefs, lived experiences, culture, and race. Miami University fully embraces the philosophy and belief that a diverse academic community is among an institution’s greatest strengths. For admission determination, Miami has always considered a wide range of student attributes in the holistic review of each student's application. These include curriculum strength, demographics, location, diversity broadly defined, strength of essay and recommendations, among dozens of others.
WCPO has reached out to the University of Cincinnati and the NAACP for comment. We are awaiting their responses.
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