How will SCOTUS decision regarding affirmative action in admissions affect NELA colleges?

The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina in June, ruling it unconstitutional for universities to consider race in admissions.

The ruling will require the two universities to rework their admissions policies and will have resounding effect on other colleges across the country.

The Court previously ruled that using race as an exclusive basis for admissions decisions violated the 14th Amendment and Civil Rights Act of 1964 following Regents of the University of California v. Blakke in 1978.

However, some Louisiana universities say that the latest Supreme Court decision will have no impact on admissions into their institutions.

More: Supreme Court blocks use of affirmative action at Harvard, UNC in blow to diversity efforts

Will the SCOTUS ruling affect admissions and diversity in UL System institutions?

The University of Louisiana System's universities use objective admissions criteria based on high school grade point average, grades in core curriculum and standardized test scores, President and CEO Dr. Jim Henderson said.

"No public university in Louisiana is at a level of selectivity that results in zero sum admissions, where the admission of one student eliminates another," Henderson said. "Here, with few limited exceptions, if you meet the objective criteria, you are admitted. ULS member institutions have among the most diverse student populations in the nation. As a result, our students graduate better prepared to live and compete in a diverse global economy. In short, our students, regardless of background, belong on our campuses. Our purpose is clear: increasing the educational level of all Louisianans is essential to economic vitality and quality of life. The intentionality of our work clearly fulfills a compelling state interest for Louisiana and our communities."

The UL System has nine member institutions, including Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana Tech University in Ruston and University of Louisiana Monroe in Monroe. The system enrolls more than the other three public university systems in the state and claimed more than 90,500 students throughout its institutions in 2022.

All nine member institutions' admissions process follow standards set forth by the Louisiana Board of Regents.

Lisa Miller, Vice-President of Enrollment Management and University Relations at University of Louisiana Monroe, said while the university values a diverse student population, demographics such as race, ethnicity and sex play no part in the admissions process at ULM.

According to Miller, the ULM Vision Statement reads, "ULM will change lives by bringing true equality, inclusiveness, and opportunity for all individual in our region and beyond."

"Our goal as an institution is to provide equal opportunities for students from all backgrounds to become the best version of themselves," Miller said. "The ULM Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Multicultural Affairs 'seeks to cultivate an educational environment where every individual human gift will be valued, respected, nurtured and developed'."

Because Grambling State University is a state regulated institution and abides by state policies and state procedures, the ruling does not impact the northeast Louisiana historically Black college.

"As a matter of fact, I look at it from a proponent point of view," said Rudolph Ellis, vice president of student affairs at Grambling. "I see that it benefits us in many ways because we're an institution that accepts students of any race, any color, any creed. We're an open institution that accepts all students and our goal is to ensure that all students have equal opportunity when it comes to an education so we're open to everyone."

Ellis said maybe with the SCOTUS decision and with the university's rising graduation rates that are allowed within the world market, more funding could come to the university because of affirmative action.

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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Will SCOTUS ruling affect admissions in NELA colleges and universities?