Black History
U.S. Providing Resources to Help Universities, Colleges to Lawfully Promote Racial Diversity
“Educational institutions must ensure that their admissions practices do not create barriers for students based on any protected characteristics, including race,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. The resource gives examples of how colleges and universities can lawfully take steps to achieve a racially diverse student body. Examples included targeted outreach, recruitment, pathway programs, evaluation of admission policies, and retention strategies and programs.
By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and
Edward Henderson
California Black Media
The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are jointly releasing resources to help colleges and universities lawfully pursue diversity in their student bodies.
The departments have issued a Questions and Answers resource to help colleges and universities comply with the Supreme Court’s decision that ruled affirmative action unconstitutional.
“Educational institutions must ensure that their admissions practices do not create barriers for students based on any protected characteristics, including race,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke.
The resource gives examples of how colleges and universities can lawfully take steps to achieve a racially diverse student body. Examples included targeted outreach, recruitment, pathway programs, evaluation of admission policies, and retention strategies and programs.
ED will release a report in September that showcases practices to build inclusive, diverse student bodies, including how colleges can give thoughtful consideration to measures of adversity when selecting among qualified applicants.
This includes the economic status of a student or their family, where a student grew up, and personal experiences of hardship or discrimination, such as racial discrimination, in their admissions process.
