Affirmative Action Challenge and Supreme Court Guidance

Supreme Court Cases: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and UNC

America’s higher education institutions have long recognized and cultivated the educational benefits of diversity. AACRAO believes holistic admissions practices are instrumental in helping institutions to identify students who are likely to thrive in their educational programs.

We will continue our efforts in support of equitable access to education. Our meetings, workshops, and digital platforms will continue to have space for institutions to work towards confronting implicit bias and addressing systemic inequities. We will provide support to institutions as they reframe their admissions plans in light of this legislation, while ensuring that the successes of minoritized students are not set back. And we will work to ensure that data-informed processes are built to develop and improve student support and programming.

Read our statement on the rulings to learn more.

Resources

AACRAO Process Examination Guidelines

AACRAO encourages members to begin to examine any admissions or recruitment practices that target populations of a specific race as well as their overall holistic/equity admissions practices.

To assist in this process, AACRAO is providing this guidance document to prepare our members for a possible major change in their ability to consider an applicant’s race and ethnicity as part of a holistic/equity review in admissions.

REVIEW GUIDANCE

Webinars

The Supreme Court Speaks: Understanding the Implications of Race-Conscious Admission Decision

On July 19, 2023, AACRAO, NACAC, NASFAA hosted a webinar to present the SFFA v Harvard and UNC cases. This webinar provided attendees with streamlined and practical analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court cases that challenged race-conscious admission policies: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC.

View Recording

Looking Back, Planning Ahead

On February 2, 2023, AACRAO hosted a webinar that examines the pending U.S. Supreme cases where the central question is whether colleges and universities can continue to consider an applicant’s race and ethnicity as part of the holistic review process in admissions.

View Recording

Issues

Updates

Texas Passes Bill to Preserve UT Austin Admissions Policies

May 25, 2023, 13:38 PM

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Summary : The legislation aims to ensure that UT Austin would not have to completely change how it selects freshman classes in the face of the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming decision on race-conscious admissions practices.

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The Texas legislature recently passed a bill that preserves current admissions procedures at the University of Texas at Austin, reported The Texas Tribune and Inside Higher Ed.

The legislation aims to ensure that UT Austin would not have to completely change how it selects freshman classes in the face of the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming decision on race-conscious admissions practices. Currently, state law requires the university to admit 75 percent of its students from those in the top 6 percent of their classes in Texas high schools. The admissions process at UT Austin would be void if the university no longer considers race in admissions, as it does for the remaining 25 percent of slots, according to Inside Higher Ed. Senate Bill 2538 would remove that requirement, meaning that UT Austin would not have to come up with a new admissions system if the Supreme Court invalidates affirmative action.

The court is expected to issue a ruling in two cases challenging the use of race in college admissions decision next month.