The Supreme Court’s Ruling in the SFFA Cases Against Harvard and UNC
We knew this was coming, but—much like waiting for a loved one in declining health to pass away—when the expected event finally arrives, it can shock, sadden or anger.
Thus landed the United States Supreme Court’s ruling to eliminate race as a factor in how colleges, specifically Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, choose whom they will admit. Even though the decision is unlikely to change the reality for how most college admission offices enroll their classes, it is, nevertheless, yet another blow to students of color and all who work with and advocate for them in a college admission process that is already fraught with inequities. We also acknowledge the weight of this decision for people who navigate and fight against systemic racism daily.
In a message to the Queens University of Charlotte community, Adrienne Amador Oddi, Vice President of Strategic Enrollment and Communications, wrote, “It’s important to understand that race is not an explicit factor in making admissions decisions at Queens. It is also important to know that eliminating a check mark does not eliminate race as an element of identity. Our racial identities are a part of each of us. Walking around campus, you see a vibrant and robust tapestry of people with unique identities, each telling a distinct story.”
Adrienne—and so many in this profession who strive to dismantle the structures that have stratified American culture—will continue to fight for social justice and equitable access to higher ed.
We support her and all who are doing this important and necessary work.
It is important to note–as the New York Times and others have highlighted—that even in the majority opinion, Chief Justice Roberts left open the ability for colleges to consider race and ethnicity as part of a student’s lived experience which–to echo what Adrienne has written—is inextricably linked to identity: “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise.”
Furthermore, there is nothing in the SCOTUS ruling that prevents colleges from recruiting the students they want to recruit. Rick Bailey, RHB’s co-founder and principal, encourages colleges to proceed not with fear, but with boldness and creativity, when it comes to building your college community.
“Don’t let this disappointment make you feel like you have to back off. Don’t be afraid to be energetic in your efforts to recruit a diverse class. Don’t back down.”
