[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/IMG_4441-4c1864db1eaf82ce-ba95746db75b35f5.jpg” title_text=”IMG_4441-4c1864db1eaf82ce” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”70%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”144.2px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” inline_fonts=”Aboreto,Akshar,Aldrich,Caudex,Poppins,Alkalami,Bebas Neue,ABeeZee,BioRhyme,Cormorant Infant” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n
\n
Affirmative action has been effectively banned in higher education after a landmark Supreme Court decision last year. Many universities, including Ohio State, have relied on such policies to increase racial minorities in enrollment. Although almost half of Americans supported the ban of race-conscious admissions practices in the name of preserving true merit, the question remains how Ohio State plans to move forward with its commitment to a diverse student body in the wake of affirmative action.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_style=”double” divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”7px” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”38%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” inline_fonts=”Akshar,ABeeZee” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Ohio State\u2019s class of 2027 is the \u201cbest prepared, most diverse class ever\u201d \u2014\u00a0 as was every other class since 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n The university saw its first major increase in racial minority enrollment during the <\/span>\u201990s<\/span><\/a> and early 2000s, as a result of a<\/span> diversity initiative<\/span><\/a> that would admit more students belonging to racial minority groups.<\/span><\/p>\n By 2010, the number of racial minorities increased every year, reaching its peak last year with racial minorities making up 27% of the school\u2019s 60,046 total enrolled students on Columbus campus.<\/span><\/p>\n Even at its most diverse, Ohio State ranked fifth in the 2022 <\/span>U.S. News and World Report<\/span><\/a>\u2019s comparing Big Ten universities\u2019 ethnic diversity rankings with a diversity index of 0.47. The index ranges from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating a more diverse student population.<\/span><\/p>\n These outcomes are a result of policies \u2014 including affirmative action \u2014 directly intended to do what Ohio State has been reporting for a decade: increasing diversity in higher education. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n But now, in the wake of a June 29, 2023, landmark decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that effectively ended the use of race in college admission decisions, race-based affirmative action has ended in higher education.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n This decision had the backing of 49% of Americans who believe race and ethnicity make admission processes less fair and take away from true merit qualities, according to a 2023 <\/span>Pew research survey<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n And why do almost half of Americans believe affirmative action policies stand in the way of qualities that competitive universities rely on to recruit the best prospective students?<\/span><\/p>\n These are questions that many institutions, including Ohio State, who have relied on affirmative action to promote diversity in enrollment, must answer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An examination of archived and current enrollment reports by The Lantern shows universities in states that long ago banned affirmative action, including Michigan, Texas and California, found ways to maintain and increase diversity among students. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Still, many universities, including Ohio State, have been reluctant to be interviewed given this critical period of reform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ohio State officials released a statement shortly after the Supreme Court ruling last year expressing a commitment to comply with the law. When asked about how admissions will move forward to pursue their diversity initiative without affirmative action, a spokesperson said university enrollment officials could not \u201caccommodate an interview at this time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although university leaders have chosen not to publicly speak on new policies while undergoing this transition, likely due to the threat of potential lawsuits, the question remains how institutions of higher education can lawfully still pursue diversity in enrollment.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”7px” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Defining Merit<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Webster\u2019s Dictionary defines merit as \u201c<\/span>character or conduct deserving reward, honor, or esteem.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Using this definition, the landmark decision concluded that race is not one of these characteristics.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMany universities have for too long concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual\u2019s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin,\u201d Chief Justice John Roberts said in his ruling.<\/p>\n Yet others, like Mayah Lubin, senior higher education equity coordinator for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law \u2014 a nonprofit civil rights organization meant to pursue equity for all races and ethnicities under the law \u2014 would beg to differ. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/US-NEWS-ROBERTS-COURTS-AI-GET-copy-4c780fc44d9248c4.png” title_text=”US-NEWS-ROBERTS-COURTS-AI-GET copy” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts attends the State of the Union address on Feb. 7, 2023, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/mayah-lubin-2ebc257a8910a6e8.jpg” title_text=”mayah lubin” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”83%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Mayah Lubin is a Higher Education Equity Senior Coordinator for <\/span>the\u00a0 Educational Opportunities Project, supporting the Higher Education\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Equity Pledge: REASON development and implementation\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMerit has historically been utilized as a weapon to exclude people of color not just from higher education but from other opportunities like employment,\u201d Lubin said. \u201cAffirmative action was put into place for the government and for our society to act affirmatively to ensure that there was equal opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Ohio State students like Alec Tam, a <\/span>fourth-year and <\/span>co-president of the Council on Minority Public Affairs, said merit is an American dream ideal that many minorities strive for despite systemic barriers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt’s all about just achieving that dream, and there’s inherent pressure that you have to do this and do this to be seen on equal footing as those that you have viewed as the ruling class,\u201d Tam said.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Similarly, the end of affirmative action raises concern for other students like fourth-year Ariam Gabriel, co-president of the Council on Minority Public Affairs, who worry minority applicants from poorly funded schools will choose not to pursue higher education.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think it more makes me wonder what about those people who will now be disheartened to apply,\u201d Gabriel said.<\/span><\/p>\n Now, the future of college admissions \u2014 and Ohio State\u2019s minority enrollment streak \u2014 is uncertain in the absence of affirmative action.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking back on how affirmative action has influenced enrollment in higher education and how lead figures are responding to this ban points to a new call to action universities must answer concerning how they will reshape the idea of what merit can be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Inside the Case<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit group with over 20,000 members, was founded on the basis that \u201crace should not help or hurt someone\u2019s chances to be admitted into a competitive college or university.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The group sued Harvard University and the University of North Carolina on this principle, specifically arguing that the use of race as a factor in competitive admissions at both schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSupporters of racial preferences in admissions prefer to disguise the practice with the words \u2018affirmative action,\u2019 which implies a benign helping hand, rather than the ugly reality of bias based on skin color,\u201d the SFFA newsroom<\/a> said.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Advocates for affirmative action reject the idea that the policy offers unfair preferences and instead consider it a necessary strategy to remedy systemic barriers to equal opportunity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRace had been considered as a factor of a factor of a factor,\u201d Lubin said. \u201cNo one was getting into these institutions because they were Black, because they were Latin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of SFFA, citing that Harvard and UNC failed to uphold \u201cstrict scrutiny,\u201d where race should only be used for narrowly tailored interests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The decision was justified with the same Equal Protection Clause implemented during the Civil Rights movement to remedy discrimination against Black Americans. The majority opinion said Harvard and UNC\u2019s policies had given Black and Latinx applicants preference over white and Asian applicants.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n This decision did not come without pushback from other justices. Among others, Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued the decision was a major drawback to promoting inclusivity in schools.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDeeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life,\u201d Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson added in the dissenting opinion.<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, the Lawyers Committee played a role in submitting letters in support of affirmative action from Harvard alumni, commending its policies for removing systemic barriers on their own paths to academic success.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”579px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/amicus-curaie-pt.1–456f291caf7d8bbf.png” title_text=”amicus curaie pt.1″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px|||70px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/amicus-curaie-pt.-2-a014f5534fd2f1bc.png” title_text=”amicus curaie pt. 2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-59px|0px||-40px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”59.7px” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Amicus Curiae brief including personal anecdotes from Harvard alumni in support of affirmative action.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Lubin said despite the final ruling, she believes those stories restrained the justices from making harsher rulings. Specifically, Lubin cited Clarence Thomas\u2019 opinion on how race could still be mentioned indirectly in student applications.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think that their stories help the court not go as far as they could have gone with this ruling,\u201d Lubin said. \u201cThomas made a caveat, saying that nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/cynthia-young-848aa1224e2992a0.jpeg” title_text=”cynthia young” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”85%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”59.7px” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Cynthia A. Young is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 of African American and African Studies at The Ohio State University.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”100px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Opponents of affirmative action criticized its policies for no longer serving its original purpose of rectifying discrimination. However, Cynthia Young, Ohio State\u2019s director of African American and African studies, said its absence should not encourage the notion that such policies are not needed to remedy unequal access to quality education.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have created all of these structural barriers to racial equity, the second you say that those barriers are gone doesn’t mean that everyone is equal. That’s not how structures work,\u201d Young said. \u201c[Some students] are a byproduct of schools in poorer neighborhoods, which historically have been those populated by Latinx people, Black people, et cetera. Their property values are worth less, which means that there’s less income generated from that property to go to their schools.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-10px||||false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”7px” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n History of Affirmative Action<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Despite the rapid onboarding of equal opportunity policies during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, affirmative action has seen many days in court. Shortly after it was implemented, a <\/span>1978<\/span><\/a> case determined colleges could use race as a factor but could not use racial quota systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Over the years, the scope of affirmative action policies became narrower. In <\/span>2003<\/span><\/a>, a case said\u00a0 the use of race in admissions decisions could be used to further \u201ca compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The transition from an urgent need for affirmative action as a remedy to fulfilling the interests of colleges to now being a complete violation of the Fourteenth Amendment also reflects changes in American society, Young said.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Although a post-racist American society is idealized, it\u2019s not yet a reality, Lubin said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cData speaks otherwise, our economy speaks otherwise and the percentage of who’s represented and who’s not represented in college says otherwise. Our K-12 systems\u2019 inequities and funding, they all say otherwise,\u201d Lubin said.<\/span><\/p>\n Nevertheless, with these changes over the years, universities across the country have made their own decisions as to whether they will use affirmative action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Like universities in Ohio, other large public state universities have expressed commitments to promoting diversity in their student body. Unlike Ohio, some states have had to pursue this initiative without the support of affirmative action policies before the recent ruling. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/MAP-de295f8f9981468c-49e232c0140de673.jpg” title_text=”MAP-de295f8f9981468c” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”59.7px” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n U.S. states that banned the use of affirmative action prior to June 2023 ruling.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/MICHIGAN-STATE-UNIVERSITY-DIVERSITY–956a0cf3db76b906.jpg” title_text=”MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY DIVERSITY” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”59.7px” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Bar graph of diversity statistics at Michigan State University, 2016-2023<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”96px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Michigan banned affirmative action in <\/span>2006<\/span><\/a>. Ten years later, Michigan State University\u2019s total racial minority undergraduate enrollment was 20%. Of this, about 7% of students identified as Black, 4% Hispanic and 5% Asian.<\/span><\/p>\n Today, that figure has jumped to 25.4%. Of this, Black students make up 6.51%, Hispanics 6.24% and Asians 8%, according to an MSU statistical enrollment report.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”100px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Although the state of Texas banned affirmative action in 1996, the University of Texas at Austin was the only public university to still consider race in admissions, according to the <\/span>Texas Tribune<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to public records, 5% of the enrolled student population at UT Austin identified as Black, Asian and Hispanic in <\/span>1973<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, out of the 53,082 undergraduate students enrolled, about 53% identify as Black and Hispanic.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/01\/UNIVERSITY-OF-TEXAS-AT-AUSTIN-DIVERSITY-STATISTICS-COMPARISON-FROM-1973-TO-2023-767e7fc4b97d0a62.jpg” title_text=”UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN DIVERSITY STATISTICS COMPARISON FROM 1973 TO 2023″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”59.7px” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Bar graph of diversity statistics at University of Texas at Austin, 1973-2023<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-10px||||false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Many other factors play a role in promoting racial diversity in higher education such as state demographics. Lubin said affirmative action was not supposed to be the only solution to increasing racial minority enrollment. She also said the differences in the student body point to systemic disparities in education rather than minorities cyclically lacking qualifiable merit.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAffirmative action was a tool for our nation to act affirmatively to right systemic wrong. However, it was never meant to be a silver bullet,\u201d Lubin said. \u201cThere is a plethora of things that institutions can do to ensure equitable access, starting with recruitment.\u201d<\/p>\n California also outlawed affirmative action in 1996, yet the UC Davis School of Medicine adopted a unique way to fulfill the interests of a diverse student body without the direct use of affirmative action.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Shadi Aminololama-Shakeri, chair of the UC Davis School of Medicine Admissions Committee, said in an email that in addition to academic talent, the UC Davis scale \u2014 famously known as adversity scores \u2014 contains factors for student applications including parental income, education and growing up in a medically underserved area. She said this strategy is crucial to recruiting the best talent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe believe the ability to overcome such obstacles is a reflection of grit, resilience, and commitment \u2014 as well as the ability to connect with patients from all walks of life \u2014 important qualities for the medical workforce needed in California and elsewhere,\u201d Dr. Shakeri said.<\/span><\/p>\nAmani Bayo
<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\nJohn R. Oller Special Projects Editor<\/i><\/h2>\n
But what exactly is merit?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin\/Pool\/Getty Images\/TNS<\/h6>\n
\u201c<\/strong><\/span>Many universities have for too long concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin,<\/strong><\/span>\u201d<\/strong><\/span> Roberts said.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Courtesy of Lawyers Committee<\/h6>\n
\u201c<\/strong><\/span><\/b><\/strong><\/span>Merit has historically been utilized as a weapon to exclude people of color not just from higher education but from other opportunities like employment,<\/strong><\/span>\u201d Lubin said. <\/strong><\/span>\u201cAffirmative action was put into place for the government and for our society to act affirmatively to ensure that there was equal opportunity.<\/strong><\/span>\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Courtesy of Lawyers Committee<\/h6>\n
Courtesy of Ohio State AAAS Department<\/h6>\n
\u201c[Some students] are a byproduct of schools in poorer neighborhoods, which historically have been those populated by Latinx people, Black people, et cetera. Their property values are worth less, which means that there’s less income generated from that property to go to their schools.\u201d<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Credit: Molly Goheen | Managing Editor for Digital Content<\/h6>\n
Credit: Molly Goheen | Managing Editor for Digital Content<\/h6>\n
Credit: Molly Goheen | Managing Editor for Digital Content<\/h6>\n
\u201cAffirmative action was a tool for our nation to act affirmatively to right systemic wrong. However, it was never meant to be a silver bullet,\u201d Lubin said. <\/b><\/strong><\/span>\u201c<\/b><\/strong><\/span>There is a plethora of things that institutions can do to ensure equitable access, starting with recruitment.<\/b><\/strong><\/span>\u201d <\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n