Occasionally, we catch up with our colleagues at Chalkbeat about the education stories they're following. This time, Chalkbeat Colorado Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer joined us to discuss the Supreme Court's recent overturning of affirmative action in college admissions.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that colleges and universities can no longer take race into account when considering applicants. The High Court ruled Thursday that race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional.
This ruling won't affect all higher education institutions here in Colorado, Meltzer told KUNC.
“The large majority of Colorado universities don't use race at all in admissions, but a number of the most selective schools do. And those include the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado College, University of Denver, and, actually, the Air Force Academy as well.”
The court's decision does not apply to military academies. The court, Meltzer said, made the distinction in a footnote.
“They said that military academies might have distinct interests that were not considered in this case, and presumably that distinct interest would be building diverse military leadership.”
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out many institutions could classify themselves as having particular interests in building diverse student bodies, in turn creating a diverse group of professionals.
President Biden gave a speech the day of the ruling saying universities should do everything in their power to continue to recruit and enroll diverse students. CSU and CU Boulder have released statements expressing their commitment to diversity.
