The University of Minnesota will end legacy admissions, a mechanism that gives children of graduates preferential treatment in the admissions process, following a Supreme Court ruling blocking the use of race-based affirmative action policies, a university spokesman said. told the Daily Caller News Foundation. .
In June, the Supreme Court ruled that Harvard and North Carolina’s affirmative action admission policies were unconstitutional. In light of the ruling, the University of Minnesota has decided not to consider race, ethnicity, heritage or employment in its admissions process, a university spokesperson told DCNF. (Related: Supreme Court may suspend race-based admissions at elite U.S. high schools, expert says)
“This announcement is unique to the holistic screening process used for undergraduate admissions on the Twin Cities campuses, and includes two out of ten contextual factors considered only after a rigorous examination of academic factors. It is subject to change,” a university spokesperson told DCNF. “All academic factors that have always been primary considerations in admissions decisions continue to be considered in the admissions process, as do the remaining situational factors.”
A spokesperson told DCNF that the university has adopted a “holistic review” admissions policy that considers not only the applicant’s academics, but also additional background related to their background.
Despite deciding not to consider race, ethnicity, heritage, or employment during the admissions process, the university will still ask for “this voluntary information for purposes of communication regarding recruitment and the programs and services offered.” is. according to to the Star Tribune.
“It did not add any further insight into the admission of academically ready students,” Executive Director of Admissions Keri Risik told the media.
Pedestrians walk past the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 11, 2019. Minnesota had two days of sunny spring weather that turned into a blizzard. (Photo credit: Stephen Mathulen/Getty Images)
In June, the Supreme Court ruled 6-2 overruling Grutter v. Bollinger, which allowed colleges to use race as a determinant of admissions. Harvard University, following a court ruling, suggested using applicants’ essays to continue to consider the race of its students.
Since that decision, civil rights groups have filed complaints with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging that Harvard’s use of the legacy admissions system discriminates against applicants of color.
“Each year, we review the University of Minnesota’s undergraduate admissions practices to ensure that we only ask for the information necessary to make the right admissions decision,” Risick told The Star Tribune. “This year has been a very deep look at our contextual elements.”
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