Supreme Court decision reinforces Vassar admissions process

June 24, 2003

For Immediate Release

Supreme Court decision reinforces Vassar admissions process

Yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action in the college admissions process are consistent with Vassar College's balanced practice of considering a student's racial background among numerous aspects of their application. Vassar joined in a "friend of the court" legal brief to the Supreme Court arguing for the continued role of affirmative action in higher education admissions, and the College believes the Supreme Court has charted the right course with this week's decisions.

Vassar's acting president M. Glen Johnson expects colleges and universities throughout the nation will be pleased with the overall thrust of the Supreme Court's decisions. For selective colleges like Vassar, he feels, "It's very heartening that race will continue to be one of many factors we may consider in building our student body. But Vassar College does not and will never use race as the sole or determining factor in admissions. Still, we are more convinced than ever that a diverse student body is essential to providing the fullest educational experience for all students, as well as the best preparation for life and work."

Referring to the undergraduate admissions system at the University of Michigan, one of the two policies the Supreme Court ruled on, Vassar's Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid David Borus points out that, "The Court struck down a point system that granted race extra weight, a methodology we don't use."

"It's very reassuring that the Supreme Court has reinforced our holistic approach to admissions," Borus continued. "Academic qualifications are the primary factor, along with leadership, community involvement, and the special talents and qualities a student can contribute to the college. But we absolutely have no quotas, nor do we have any specific ethnic, racial, or geographic targets or goals when it comes to the makeup of the student body. Our job is to find the most able and interesting and lively class that we can every year, and we firmly believe that part of that is seeking students from diverse backgrounds."

The Supreme Court's June 23 rulings were on cases brought against the University of Michigan's law school admissions policy (Grutter v. Bollinger, et al.) and undergraduate admissions policy (Gratz v. Bollinger, et al.).

Go to http://www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions/legal/gra_amicus-ussc/um/Amherst-both.pdf to read the legal brief in support of affirmative action in the college admissions process, which Vassar College co-signed with fellow liberal arts institutions Amherst, Barnard, Bates, Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr, Carleton, Colby, Colgate, Connecticut, Davidson, Franklin and Marshall, Hamilton, Hampshire, Haverford, Macalaster, Middlebury, Mount Holyoke, Oberlin, Pomona, Sarah Lawrence, Smith, Swarthmore, Trinity, Tufts, Wellesley, Wesleyan, and Williams.

For the text of the Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action in the college admissions process, go to http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02slipopinion.html.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential, liberal arts college founded in 1861.

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Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2003.