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.

Webinars

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

3:00-4:30 PM ET | JULY 19, 2023

AACRAO, NACAC, NASFAA have joined together to present a webinar on the SFFA v Harvard and UNC cases. This webinar will provide attendees with a streamlined, practical analysis of two recent U.S. Supreme Court cases challenging race-conscious admission policies: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC.

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

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

Updates

Common App to Allow Colleges to Hide Race

Jun 8, 2023, 14:05 PM

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Summary : If requested, the Common App will conceal basic information on applicants' race and ethnicity.

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The Common Application will let colleges not see applicants' races, reported Inside Higher Ed and The New York Times.

When millions of students are applying to college through the Common App each year, they are given the option to check a box, disclosing whether or not they identify as Hispanic, Asian, Black or White, among other choices.

Colleges will be able to hide the information in those boxes from their own admissions teams starting on August first, stated Jenny Rickard, chief executive of the Common App told the Times. The Common Application will continue to collect racial information, such as trends in applications among different groups, Rickard clarified.

The Common App—which has more than 1,000 member institutions—hopes that its new policy changes will allow colleges to show they are following the law, should the Supreme Court officially rule against race-conscious admissions later this summer.