In June, the Supreme Court rejected race-conscious admissions. What does this mean for universities and students?
In the University of North Carolina case, the plaintiffs said that the university discriminated against white and Asian applicants by giving preference to Black, Hispanic, and Native American ones. The university responded that its admissions policies fostered educational diversity. Credit…Kate Medley for The New York Times
Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “Supreme Court Rejects Affirmative Action Programs at Harvard and U.N.C.” by Adam Liptak
In June, the Supreme Court’s ruling to deny admissions to institutions that discriminate against race in universities across the country has thrown up years of law and the landscape of higher education. This ruling will change the structure of many of America’s most prestigious institutions and the future prospects of students wishing to go to them.
In this class, students will be able to learn more about the implications of this decision and what it means to their lives. Through interactive activities, we will encourage students to consider the issues that are at the center of the discussion. What is the extent to which diversity plays for higher education? What is the extent to which universities and colleges have the obligation to be fair and inclusive?
Warm-Up
Part 1: Four Corners Activity
In order to help students be aware of the motives behind affirmative actions based on race, in light of the Supreme Court’s decisions, you could begin by doing a Four Corners activity.
Ask them to imagine that you are an admissions officer of the university or college. What aspects should their school consider when deciding the applicants?
Read aloud several aspects colleges could be considering in order to allow students to step into a particular corner of the room and indicate whether they strongly believe, agree, or strongly disagree with each. After each argument, give students time to think about and debate their position. (For details on how to conduct an Four Corners activity, see this guide from our colleagues at Facing the Past and Taking Responsibility.)
We recommend beginning with something that students are likely to be in agreement with, like scores or grades, before moving on to the more debatable areas like gender or the capacity to pay for tuition before settling on race, the issue of the most recent Supreme Court decision. As an example, you could take this approach:
Colleges should take into consideration the following factors in an admissions decision.
The activity could spark discussions about what the point for college really is. It could also prompt discussions about what diversity means and in what way it matters in the field of education. This could also prompt concerns about fairness. End the lesson with students writing about or debate the following questions, all of which focuses on the issues that have been used to justify the use of race in affirmative action
What do colleges need to focus on creating diverse classes of students? What does “diversity” mean to you? What aspects should admissions officials be able to take into consideration in constructing an inclusive student body? What aspects are they allowed to consider? If any, what factors should they not be taking into consideration?
Do you think that universities are responsible for ensuring that students from less privileged backgrounds, whose application might not appear as polished as their wealthy peers, have the chance to attend? Why or why not? What happens if the school can accept only a small amount of students?
Part 2: The History of Affirmative Action
Students should watch this two-minute video from 2017 in order to grasp the history behind affirmative action. The Harvard case that is mentioned in this video is among two cases that were decided in the Supreme Court in June.
Editor’s Picks
Consider this issue in earlier decisions: it was the Supreme Court endorsed “affirmative action” — making race one of many factors to encourage diversity in education. However, this summer, the court decided that race cannot be used in application procedures. Which do you believe? Do you think race should be used as a aspect but not the sole aspect to be considered during the process of admissions in order to ensure that the campuses of colleges are inclusive? Why or why not?