In a 6-3 vote on Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, which took race into consideration in admissions decisions, were unconstitutional.
The cases evaluated were Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case.
In the ruling documents, the court wrote that “Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment”. The 14th Amendment prohibits states from enforcing laws that curtail privileges or immunities against U.S. citizens.
The policies were overturned from a 2003 ruling, Grutter v. Bollinger, which favored race to factor into admissions processes.
In response to the decision, University of Oregon Interim President Jamie Moffitt expressed the university’s disappointment in the decision in an email sent to UO community members.
“The University of Oregon shares the concerns of our university peers across the nation that this ruling will impact the ability of underrepresented students to access the benefits of higher education,” Moffitt said in the email.
She went on to say that the UO will adhere to its comprehensive review of applications received and said admissions are based on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
In the 2022-2023 school year, the UO enrolled 7,615 “students of color” out of a total of 23,202 students. More than half of the students, 14,207, were white.
“The UO will continue to seek to attract and retain underrepresented and underserved students while providing them with equitable and inclusive access to higher education,” Moffitt said.
In the Supreme Court’s majority opinion, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. argued that students ought to be treated based on their experiences, rather than on the basis of race.
In the email, Moffitt said they are carefully reviewing this decision and will evaluate what changes need to be made.
“We are carefully reviewing the decision and will make any necessary changes to our processes to comply with the ruling while ensuring we continue to achieve our mission-driven goals of providing access, opportunity, equity, and inclusion for students,” Moffitt said.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
