Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 has been a year notable for its ups and downs on the higher education landscape with the elimination of affirmative action and the implosion of President Joe Biden’s student relief program.
At the same time, scholars are working around the clock to stave off ongoing anti-DEI legislation that has already taken hold in states like Florida and Texas, where many politicians campaigned against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Affirmative action struck down
The U.S. Supreme Court dismantled decades of legal precedent in June, ruling against race-conscious college admissions and bringing an end to affirmative action practices in higher education.
The U.S. Supreme Court dismantled decades of legal precedent in June, ruling against race-conscious college admissions and bringing an end to affirmative action practices in higher education.
The high court voted 6-3 against UNC and 6-2 against Harvard. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the latter case because she served on the Harvard Board of Overseers.
“[Universities] have 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,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in a majority opinion. “Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”
