Facing impending lawsuits, institutions rescind racial preference initiatives
The Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard has significantly affected pipeline programs designed to increase enrollment and support for underrepresented racial groups in higher education. The ruling, which prohibited race-based affirmative action in college admissions, has led to a wave of legal restrictions, policy shifts, and funding cuts.
Following the decision, many universities, including Harvard, have altered their admissions processes by eliminating race-conscious criteria, reinstating reliance on standardized testing scores, and modifying application questions to comply with the ruling. Federal policies have also increasingly constrained diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. For example, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued guidance explicitly forbidding the use of race preferences or proxies for race in admissions and other campus programs for schools receiving federal funds.
This has had a significant impact on support programs for underrepresented students. Programs like the Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program (MSROP) at the University of Minnesota, which offered valuable skills and connections to students like Jocelyn Ricard, have been discontinued. Ricard, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine, credits MSROP for her entrance into the field.
Black and Hispanic students remain underrepresented in college and graduate programs, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Programs like Creando Comunidad: Community Engaged Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Fellows program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, originally designed to provide a space for BIPOC students, have faced complaints from the Equal Protection Project and have been renamed, requiring applicants to demonstrate an interest or experience in promoting equity, inclusion, and social justice for communities of color.
Despite these challenges, some programs continue to provide support. The Latinx On The Rise Mentoring Program, organized by the NWA Hispanic Leadership Council in northwest Arkansas, still matches Hispanic students with professionals, despite the focus on specific groups being a point of contention. Chris Molina, a senior and first-generation student, received guidance from Marc Mund through the program, which helped him land a corporate internship at Sam's Club.
Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, has stated that casting campus offerings as broadly inclusive might risk ignoring the needs of historically underrepresented students. The goal of creating inclusive spaces on campuses must take into account the disadvantages students experience that affect their navigation of education.
Research suggests that race-based support and pipeline programs do increase the entry and persistence of underrepresented students into certain fields, especially STEM. However, the current climate poses significant challenges to these programs, with infrastructure and support systems in a state of uncertainty and retrenchment two years after the ruling.
References:
- Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard
- U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights guidance
- Impact on Hispanic Serving Institutions
- Changes in admission trends for underrepresented groups
- The decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard has resulted in a shift in higher education, leading to the elimination of race-conscious criteria in admissions and the decline of education-and-self-development programs designed for underrepresented racial groups.
- The ruling has contributed to an increased inequality in education, particularly in higher education, as Black and Hispanic students remain underrepresented in college and graduate programs, especially in STEM fields.
- Despite the challenges, politics and general-news continue to highlight initiatives, such as the Latinx On The Rise Mentoring Program, that provide support to underrepresented students, underscoring the importance of innovation in DEI efforts within higher education.
