AAUP Brief
by AAUP
Web Post
AAUP joined an amicus brief prepared by the American Council on Education (ACE) (and joined by thirty-six higher education organizations) for submission to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Boston Division, in opposition to the motion for summary judgment by Students for Fair Admissions (SAFFA), which challenges Harvard College’s admissions policies. For many years, the AAUP has advocated in favor of affirmative action in higher education, emphasizing the educational value of diversity, through amicus briefs in Supreme Court cases from Regents of the University of California v. Bakke in 1978 to Fisher v. Texas in 2016, and through AAUP policy. See “Affirmative Action Plans: Recommended Procedures for Increasing the Number of Minority Persons and Women on College and University Faculties,” AAUP, Policy Documents and Reports, 157-163 (11th ed. 2015). This amicus brief argues that “a diverse student body is essential to the educational objectives of colleges and universities, and that each institution should be able to exercise its academic judgment to determine within broad limits the diversity that will advance its individual mission.” The brief further argues that holistic review (of applications) remains a cornerstone for race-conscious admissions because it gives each applicant individualized consideration and reduces no one to her race.