Graduates make their way to the Spurlock Center during the commencement ceremony at Franklin College in May 2019.
Daily Journal File Photo
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled college officials can’t use affirmative action in admissions decisions, Indiana college officials say they’ll comply with the ruling.
The 6-3 decision on the case June 29 invalidated admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. The majority of justices decided affirmative action, used at the two colleges, was racially discriminatory, thus violating the U.S. Constitution. College officials had used the practice, which they called race-conscious admissions, to increase racial diversity on campuses. However, the schools and those with similar practices will now have to look to other avenues to pursue racial equity at the post-secondary level.
At Franklin College officials say the decision is unlikely to have much of an effect on admissions or the racial makeup of the campus, which has about 83% white students, according to data from the U.S. News and World Report. The school’s admissions process does not involve affirmative action, Franklin College President Kerry Prather said.
Race conscious-admissions are more commonly used at high-selective schools such as those in the Big 10 and the Ivy League, so the decision is not expected to cause a big change in admissions for Indiana higher education institutions.
Franklin College admits about 73% of applicants, said Andrew Hendricks, interim vice president of enrollment and marketing. Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are markedly more selective. Harvard admits 4% of applicants and UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC’s main campus, admits 19%, according to the U.S. News and World Report.
“This is largely a political issue, and this institution doesn’t do politics,” Prather said. “My reaction is, we follow the law, but we also follow our diversity, equity and inclusion access goals and principles. We intend to continue doing that. The Supreme Court decision really impacts only the most selective colleges in the country. That was the essence of the lawsuit and the ruling. For all intents and purposes, this has no impact on us.”
At Ivy Tech Community College, which has a campus in Franklin, the admissions process won’t be affected by the ruling, Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann said in a statement.
“Ivy Tech will continue our commitment to ensuring all Hoosiers have high-value post-secondary and career opportunities,” she said.
Representatives from other Indiana colleges also shared reactions to the decision.
A spokesperson from Purdue University said college officials would “follow the law,” while Ball State officials said the decision wouldn’t affect the college because admissions officers don’t consider race. Indiana University officials are still determining how best to follow the decision, according to an article from WFYI.
“In the weeks to come, we will work to understand this ruling and what may be required to ensure that IU follows the law, while also continuing to pursue the principles and values that have shaped the learning environment we seek across IU,” college officials said in a statement.
While Franklin College officials don’t consider the race of the applicant, they are still committed to diversity and inclusion goals through recruitment and retention efforts, Prather said.
Through college fairs and visits to high schools with more diverse populations, such as in Indianapolis, the college is working to gather a more diverse applicant base, he said.
“We try and increase our population of students from underrepresented populations, including international students, and to support all of them as well as we possibly can,” Prather said. “Retention strategy goes with it. The needs of students differ based on their life experiences, and we try to address those as best as we can to ensure students who enroll graduate.”
