Following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action enrollment practices in the college admissions process, higher education institutions in Western Massachusetts pledged Thursday to maintain their support of practices they called inclusive and necessary while also adhering to the law.
That might pose a delicate balancing act after the court rejected affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, and established that race cannot be a factor in the enrollment process.
According to a statement by University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan and chancellors of the five campuses in the UMass system, race alone has not been a determining factor for which students are accepted in the first place. It was among several responses that showed an adherence to the ruling — but a defiance to allowing it to stifle their commitment to diversity.
“Our admissions process has, for the past decade, employed a holistic approach that considers the entirety of an applicant’s life experiences. Holistic admissions, which does not use race as a determinative factor, has served us well,” the UMass statement said.
“Since 2011, the percentage of students of color in the incoming class has grown from 21% to 37%. We should, however, prepare for this ruling to have profound ramifications for higher education more broadly,” it said.
Meehan and the chancellors cited trends since California’s passage of Proposition 209, a measure passed by voter referendum in 1996 that prohibited public universities in that state from using race as a criteria. They said “there are far-reaching implications to ending affirmative action.” Opponents of the California proposition say passage had a damaging effect on representation by underrepresented groups at state institutions.
The court ruling might have disappointed members of the Western Massachusetts academic community, but did not surprise them.
“While we have been anticipating and preparing for this outcome for some time, the Court’s decision dismantling affirmative action in college admissions marks a historic and challenging moment for all of higher education, including institutions such as ours that are deeply invested in inclusive education,” UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy said.
“While the Court may require us to change our methods, it cannot change our mission. A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is a core value of UMass,” Subbaswamy said.
Smith College President Kathleen McCartney and her successor, Sarah Willie-LeBreton, issued a joint statement with a similar message.
“We will comply with the Court’s decision. At the same time, the college will continue to work to ensure that our student body remains diverse,” the joint statement said.
“Our admissions process is a holistic one that considers various aspects of an applicant’s background and experiences - including grades, curriculum, extracurricular activities, work experience, geography, socioeconomic background and more - so that each applicant’s unique voice and perspective are fully appreciated.”
The ruling comes on the eve of Willie-LeBreton’s first day as president. She will formally assume the position on Saturday, ending McCartney’s 10-year tenure as Smith College president.
How institutions fulfill the dual promises of abiding by the ruling while still offering opportunity to underrepresented groups remains to be seen. While race can no longer be used to determine enrollment, broader inequities traced at least in part to race — particularly regarding disparate past opportunities and economic levels — still appear to be in play.
Not every critic of the ruling thinks the diversity mission will be so adroitly maintained. The president of the Massachusetts Medical Society said it has the potential damage the future of equity and opportunity in medical education, but pledged to combat such impact.
“Today’s decision is disheartening and threatens to undermine the efforts of the medical community to address racial disparities in health care access and outcomes,” MMS president Dr. Barbara S. Spivak said. “Despite this decision, the Massachusetts Medical Society will continue to push forward with our commitment to minimizing health disparities and promoting equity across the heath care spectrum.”
Springfield College President Mary-Beth A. Cooper said the decision requires institutions to review their policies in order to continue offering opportunity to diverse populations.
“As we look at our policies, procedures, and practices, Springfield College remains committed to creating and sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming educational environment and will remain vigilant in our efforts to provide educational access and equality for all,” said Cooper, who expressed concern about the long-term impact of the ruling.
At American International College, the goal of reaching 25% Hispanic student enrollment — the benchmark to qualify as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) — now has a new factor to be considered.
AIC President Dr. Hubert Benitez, however, said the court decision will have “minimal impact” on the Springfield institution.
“I have always believed that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to higher education. Despite this ruling, I remain optimistic that institutions will uphold these principles,” Benitez said.
“(AIC) has always operated based on core values that prioritize access, opportunity, and diversity. Given our student demographic, diversity naturally thrives at AIC, and we must continue to serve this diverse population.”
According to statistics supplied by the college, AIC’s student population is 24% Hispanic or Latino — barely below the HSI benchmark that would qualify the college for federal funding in some cases. It’s so close, in fact, that AIC is designated as an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (eHSI).
Another 23% of AIC’s student body is African-American.
Some institutions were more candid than others in venting their opposition to the decision.
“Mount Holyoke College is deeply disappointed about today’s Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action as it overturns decades of settled law. Make no mistake, however: our values and our commitment to progress and continued representation in higher education remain undaunted,” a college statement read.
“The college will continue to break down barriers to higher education so that all students see themselves in our community. Mount Holyoke will ensure that students of color, LGBTQ+ students, first generation students and all students historically underrepresented in higher education are welcomed and valued on our campus and in our community. Today’s decision will not change our unwavering commitment to these students,” it continued.
Westfield State University and Western New England University were among institutions that referred to the statement issued by the office of Gov. Maura T. Healey as their stance as well.
Healey’s statement railed against the decision and pledged that the state’s equity mission would be undeterred.
“Massachusetts will always be welcoming and inclusive of students of color and students historically underrepresented in higher education. Today’s Supreme Court decision overturns decades of settled law,” the statement read.
“In the Commonwealth, our values and our commitment to progress and continued representation in education remain unshakable. We will continue to break down barriers to higher education so that all students see themselves represented in both our public and private campus communities.”
Healey’s message was co-signed by members of her administration’s political, academic and legal framework. It was also endorsed by dozens of college and university presidents and administrators.
Signers included officials from UMass, Amherst College, Bay Path University, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Western New England University, Westfield State University, Springfield Technical Community College, Holyoke Community College and Greenfield Community College.
State Sen. Joanne M. Comerford of the Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester District and chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, called the court decision “misguided .... and threatens to turn back the clock on decades of progress.”
The Democrat pledged that Massachusetts “will not yield,” and added that the state Senate is showing its commitment with strong support of public higher education and a goal to make community college free of charge.