The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) jointly released two new guidance documents to aid colleges and universities understand the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on race-based admissions processes. ED and DOJ released a Dear Colleague Letter and a Questions and Answers resource document to guide college and universities as they continue to admit, support, and retain a racial diverse student body. The Questions and Answers document also outlines examples of lawful practices that institutions of higher education can take to achieve a diverse student body that includes factors such as race and ethnicity, as well as other aspects of prospective students' social identity, within the limits created by the Supreme Court ruling.
Both ED and DOJ held a joint virtual meeting surmising that guidelines will help institutions of higher education continue to help foster a diverse cohort of students. Both Departments also reiterated their commitment to supporting the continuation of the promotion of diversity in colleges and universities within the bounds of the Court's decisions. Additionally, ED still plans to release their report on promising practices that colleges and universities can utilize to create inclusive and diverse student bodies this September. In the meantime, individuals may reach out to any of the 12 Office of Civil Rights regional offices with any technical assistance questions they may have.
More information on the recent guidance can be found here.
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Madison Lambert
Legislative Research Assistant
Lewis-Burke Associates LLC
Washington D.C.
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