The US Supreme Court recently made a monumental decision, ruling that colleges cannot consider race in their admission process.
This is seen as a blow to affirmative action, and appellate attorney Chris Edwards gave his insight to the Triad Business Journal's Lillian Johnson.
According to Chris, the ruling implies the old practice of seeking diversity no longer holds any merit—now, there needs to be something more concrete and measurable. From the article:
The Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for colleges to consider a prospective student’s race in the admissions process on June 29, reversinga decades-long standard. The decision, which was expected by the conservative-majority court, found that practices at Harvard Universityand UNC-Chapel Hill “cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause,” part of the 14th Amendment.
“Previously, diversity for diversity’s sake had been a compelling government interest,” said Chris Edwards, an appellate attorney with NorthCarolina firm Ward and Smith. “The majority opinion doesn’t say as much,but it does say that the prior regime is not compelling anymore because you have to have something measurable.”
A major upheaval to the college admissions process is expected, but nobody knows what that will look like, Edwards said.
If you want to read more about what Chris had to say, click the provided link. The article is behind a paywall, but it's well worth the read as Chris delves into even more ways universities can rise to the challenge of growing diversity. And legacy admission anyone? Find out how the recent ruling could be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to legal battles surround the college admission process.
