Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education | American Civil Liberties Union

Question 1

What can colleges do to ensure they create opportunities for students of color in light of the recent Supreme Court decision effectively eliminating the use of affirmative action in college admissions?

Accepted Answer

Affirmative action in college admissions has been an important tool, but it is not the only avenue for ensuring that educational opportunities are open to all. In the absence of affirmative action, it is more important than ever that schools work to identify and remove inequitable barriers to higher education. At a minimum, schools must continue to comply with federal and state civil rights laws that require them to provide educational opportunities on an equal basis. They can achieve this by ensuring that policies and practices do not unnecessarily limit opportunities for people on the basis of race or ethnicity (or other protected characteristics, including disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity), and by ensuring that school climate enables all students to access and engage with educational opportunities.

Question 2

How can colleges work to create and foster diverse and equitable campuses?

Accepted Answer

Creating a campus environment where students feel they belong and can fully engage academically is important to student recruitment and to students’ success once enrolled. This can include making classroom teaching methods more fair and inclusive; providing curriculum, programs, and activities that speak to students’ diverse interests and lived experiences; reforming programs intended to fill K-12 learning gaps; removing financial obstacles to academic success; addressing bias in advising; meeting students’ basic needs for food, housing, and transportation; and supporting the needs of parenting students.

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