How does the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision affect Ohio?

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday morning that the race-conscious admissions policies used by the University of North Carolina and Harvard were considered unlawful, thus ending a decades-long precedent of affirmative action policies at colleges and universities across the country.

The court ruled 6-2 in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and 6-3 in Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, with the liberal justices in dissent. (Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the case involving Harvard.)

While this year's incoming freshman classes will be untouched by the court's ruling, many schools nationwide will likely be scrambling to adjust their admissions policies before fall semester. But the decision likely won't impact many of Ohio's colleges and universities' admissions policies. Why? They say they've found other ways to expand opportunities for diverse students.

Only 3 of Ohio's 14 four-year public institutions said an applicant's race and ethnicity are considered in the admissions process, according to the universities' responses to the most recent Common Data Set, a standardized set of questions about topics like a school's admissions, financial aid, graduation rate and student demographics.

How is race used in admissions at Bowling Green, OSU and UC?

Even for the three four-year public schools who do consider race in its admissions process − Bowling Green State University, Ohio State University and University of Cincinnati − it isn't the most important factor. Many university officials described taking a "holistic" approach to their admissions processes.

At University of Cincinnati, race and ethnicity are given the same consideration as an applicant's extracurricular activities, standardized test scores and class rank. A student's application essay is weighted more highly in their application.

"We made a move about six years ago to a more holistic admissions process," Jack Miner, vice provost for enrollment management at University of Cincinnati, said. "So the process now doesn't just involve students including their academic record and their demographics, but they also include a series of essays. And those essays really give us a feel for the background of the student, what the student has faced as challenges, the personality of the student, (and) how the student is going to fit into our programs."

Over the last few years, the university also strengthened its partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools, the state's second largest K-12 public school system and where more than 61% of students are Black, according to state data. The university offers scholarships and other incentives to encourage the city's students to apply. Miner said UC is interested in getting more diverse students into their application portal in the first place, rather than making race a deciding factor for admissions.

It's paid off well, Miner said. In 2017, 68.9% of UC's students were white, according to enrollment data. Last school year, 66.3% of students were white.

Ohio State weighs academic factors, such as rigor of the applicant's high school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores and essay, as "very important" and "important" in its admissions criteria. Race and ethnicity is under the "considered" category, according to the Common Data Set.

First-generation status and volunteer and work experience are also given more weight than an applicant's race.

Xavier University in Cincinnati is a private institution. But officials at that school said the decision won't impact their process, either.

"Xavier does not use race as a deciding factor when considering a prospective student's application, and therefore, today's Supreme Court opinion will not affect Xavier's admission decision process," the university provided in a Thursday statement to The Enquirer. "At Xavier, we are fortunate to have a diverse student body. Last year’s incoming student class included 24% multicultural students."

Black and Latino students still underrepresented in enrollment

Ohio State is one of 18 state flagship universities nationwide that use race as a factor in admissions decisions, according to a recent report by The Hechinger Report. And at most of those universities, Black and Latino students are still very much underrepresented.

In fall 2022, Ohio State reported that about 26% of its Columbus campus student body was nonwhite, up from nearly 20% in 2017, according to university data. About 7.5% of Ohio State students identified as Black and about 5.6% were Hispanic last school year. By comparison, Columbus City Schools, the state's largest public K-12 district, has a student population that is about 53% Black and 15% Hispanic.

Ohio State Provost Melissa Gilliam and James Orr, vice provost for strategic enrollment management, sent an email to the campus community June 20 in advance of the Supreme Court decision.

"Right now, we expect any changes to admissions to go into effect immediately and to be forward-looking, without impacting our current students’ place at the university," they wrote. "Again, we will share more as we review the decisions – and remain committed to teaching, research, academic freedom, considerate discourse and support for each other as Buckeyes."

The University of Akron doesn't expect any impact to the admission process, no matter the ruling, spokesperson Cristine Boyd said in a statement. Each application is considered based on grade point average and strength of high school coursework, along with grade trends and "special talents," she said.

"In essence, we admit students who demonstrate their potential to be successful at our university and do not measure success using a racial metric in that assessment," Boyd said.

Kent State University also does not use race in admissions, but President Todd Diacon has been vocal on the topic lately, even mentioning it in his spring commencement address. In a statement on the university's website, Diacon said the university will comply with state and federal law.

"But nothing will force us to alter who we are at our core, as a great public university, and what we arrived upon, as a community, when we created our strategic roadmap," he said.

How could race-specific and diversity initiatives be affected?

While many Ohio universities don't factor an applicant's race into admissions, they still may use race for institutional purposes and for specific programs.

At Walsh University, for instance, the Stark County private Catholic university uses race for tracking purposes and considers race for some of its initiatives such as the Thea Bowman Scholars program, which specifically seeks African American scholars.

It's unclear how race-specific programs and other university recruitment initiatives and scholarships intended to boost diversity could be affected by the Supreme Court's decision, which has caused some people to worry.

"Whether the decision impacts financial aid or student life would depend on how broad the decision is," Otterbein University Vice President of Enrollment Management Jefferson Blackburn-Smith said. "Currently scholarships and clubs, organizations were not part of what was being discussed. If they ruled in a decision that was larger than what is the issues in the case, then it might impact those areas."

Bethany Perkins, Miami University's assistant vice president of strategic enrollment management and director of admission, said Miami is prepared to adjust its review processes to align with the Supreme Court decision. The university currently considers curriculum strength, demographics, location, diversity, strength of essay and recommendations, among other factors, when making enrollment decisions.

"Miami University will continue to cultivate diversity of thought and an inclusive environment that enhances the living, learning, and working environment for every student, staff, and faculty member, beginning with recruiting the next generation of Miamians," Perkins wrote in a statement. "We are committed to ensuring that every student thrives and has a sense of belonging."

Sheridan Hendrix, Madeline Mitchell and Kelli Weir are education reporters at The Columbus Dispatch, The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Canton Repository. Grace Clarke is a reporting intern at The Akron Beacon Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How is race used in admissions at Bowling Green, Ohio State and UC?