South Dakota Board of Regents loud and clear on not considering race in admissions

Morgan Matzen, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Updated ·4 min read
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Race isn’t considered in admissions or hiring at the South Dakota’s six public universities, and race hasn’t historically been considered, either.

That’s something the South Dakota Board of Regents are clarifying after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action admissions policies once used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina on June 29, and before classes resume Aug. 21.

Those colleges had factored applicants’ racial and ethnic backgrounds into their admission decisions. Supporters of affirmative action have long favored the policies as a way to diversify institutions and combat inequities that left some groups underrepresented, while critics have argued affirmative action makes it harder for Asian and white students to be admitted over Black and Latino applicants, USA Today reported.

More: What is affirmative action? More Americans dislike practice as Supreme Court strikes it down

While federal financial aid regulations require universities to give students the opportunity to self-report race and ethnicity, that information isn’t used in admissions decisions, SDBOR executive director Nathan Lukkes said in a statement.

Shortly after the Supreme Court made its decision, Rep. Jon Hansen (R-Dell Rapids) tweeted that he would sponsor a bill to ban affirmative action in South Dakota in the next legislative session.

“South Dakota universities should judge applicants not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” he tweeted. “Merit based admission is the way.”

Hansen didn’t answer questions about if the bill was needed after the Supreme Court made its decision, why he thought it was an important topic to address, what the text of his bill might look like or whether it would target state law or SDBOR policies.

More: South Dakota Board of Regents want to prioritize tuition freeze, dual credit and civics for 2025

Rep. Tony Venhuizen (R-Sioux Falls), a former Regent, also tweeted that day that the state’s universities don’t consider race in admissions.

“There isn’t a law prohibiting it, they just don’t do it,” Venhuizen said on Twitter.

He clarified to the Argus Leader there is one South Dakota law prohibiting discrimination by race in admissions. While it isn’t a specific prohibition on affirmative action, it has the effect of prohibiting it, he said, in addition to the Supreme Court ruling.

SDBOR policies 1:19 and 4:47 both mention affirmative action, but these policies are in the context of the federal requirement in certain areas to have an affirmative action plan or program different from the definition many might associate with affirmative action, Lukkes said in a statement.

An affirmative action program in this context is to offer equal employment opportunity providing the policies, practices and procedures necessary to ensure all qualified applicants and employees receive an equal opportunity for recruitment, selection and advancement, Lukkes said.

South Dakota State University President Barry Dunn greets students inside the American Indian Student Center on campus. Part of the Wokini Initiative’s funding went toward the construction of the center.
South Dakota State University President Barry Dunn greets students inside the American Indian Student Center on campus. Part of the Wokini Initiative’s funding went toward the construction of the center.

When asked specifically about South Dakota State University’s Wokini Initiative, which is aimed at creating greater access to higher education for Native American students in South Dakota, Lukkes said the SDBOR doesn’t anticipate the ruling affecting any of the university system’s programs or operations.

More: SDSU President Barry Dunn wins prestigious education award for Wokini Initiative

“We have been and will remain committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination, whether in admissions, hiring or otherwise,” Lukkes said in a statement. “At our institutions, these decisions are based on an individual’s qualifications, experience, preparation, and ability.”

An online analysis from Ballotpedia referencing College Board and College Data from 2015 states that University of South Dakota last considered race in admissions in 2015, but in a statement from the university, Michelle Cwach, assistant vice president for marketing, communications and university relations, said this may be referring to the USD Sanford School of Medicine’s Indians Into Medicine program.

INMED is a collaboration between the medical school and the University of North Dakota, and is federally funded under the Indian Healthcare Improvement Act. The program is designed to encourage enrolled members of federally-recognized tribes to enter careers in the health sciences. USD’s Sanford School of Medicine sets aside two spots in each medical school class for students in this program.

Cwach said USD doesn’t anticipate any impact to this program due to the Supreme Court ruling, as a person’s status as an enrolled member of a tribe hasn’t been considered a racial classification by the court, she explained.

The latest enrollment data is not available until later this fall.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota Board of Regents says race not considered in admissions