Diversity in Higher Education

The AAUP has long advocated for diversity in higher education and championed efforts aimed at ensuring that students of all races have equal access to higher education. In the face of recent attacks from reactionary state governments and a conservative Supreme Court, the AAUP reaffirms its commitment to the crucial goal of ensuring that a diverse range of students have access to US colleges and universities. To that end, the AAUP pledges to work with faculty, college and university administrations, and social justice organizations.

Since 2020, state legislation has targeted efforts to foster diversity and address the United States’ history of racism by seeking to limit or ban truthful teaching about racial injustice. The AAUP has vigorously opposed these attempts by politicians to dictate what is taught in college and university classrooms.

In another significant setback, the Republican-appointed majority on the Supreme Court ruled in June 2023 in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina that the race-conscious admissions policies used by Harvard and UNC violate the US Constitution and federal law. This decision overturns what had been settled law for more than forty years. There is no doubt that right-wing politicians, their fellow travelers in the federal judiciary, and ideologically motivated legal groups will now seek to exploit the Supreme Court’s decision and expand their assault on racial justice beyond college admissions.

Those of us in the higher education community must continue to fight back and protect our core values. Ensuring access to higher education for all students and promoting equity in education and fostering vibrant college and university campuses characterized by the freedom to learn, teach, and conduct research. There remain numerous avenues for combatting racial inequalities in higher education, eliminating barriers to access, and promoting the success of all students, and the AAUP stands committed to helping members, chapters, and state conferences to explore those options and insist on meaningful change.  

AAUP Policy Statements, Reports, and Analysis

(See also our resource pages on racial justice and on legislation to restrict teaching and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.)

• AAUP Applauds Institutions Ending Legacy Admissions, July 2023. Statement.
• Higher Ed Community Must Protect Equity in Education, June 2023. Statement.
• Amicus brief in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, 2022.
• Affirmative Action in Higher Education. Report by the Council Committee on Discrimination (1973) 
• AAUP webinar, "After Affirmative Action," July 2023. (Member log-in required)
• On Eliminating Discrimination and Achieving Equality in Higher Education. January 2024. Statement.

Resources to Preserve and Advance Diversity

• Affirmative Action in Higher Education: The Racial Justice Landscape after the SFFA Cases. A report by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, and four other groups that offers recommendations for advancing educational equity in light of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decisions, providing key recommendations that can increase access to equitable and diverse education. 
• Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education. U.S. Department of Education. September 2023. Discusses evidence-based and promising strategies that institutions can use to expand socioeconomic and racial diversity in colleges and universities. 
• Dear Colleague Letter and Questions and Answers document. US Departments of Education and Justice, August 2023. Information to help colleges and universities work to lawfully pursue efforts to achieve a student body that is diverse across a range of factors, including race and ethnicity:
• Statement from EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows on Supreme Court Ruling on College Affirmative Action Programs, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, June 2023. Clarifies that the decision in Students for Fair Admissions does not address employer efforts to foster diverse and inclusive workforces or to engage the talents of all qualified workers, regardless of their background.
• Diversity No Matter What. NAACP, 2023. Diversity pledge campaign.  
• SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC FAQ. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), 2023. FAQ and explainer on the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision.
• Moving Beyond the Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Rulings. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), July 12, 2023. Discussses what college admissions offices can still do to ensure they create opportunities for students of color.
• Advancing Equal Employment Opportunity. July 5, 2023. Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Guidance document for employers on affirmative action cases. 

Media and Commentary 

• On the SCOTUS Ruling on Affirmative Action. By Jennifer Ruth, Academe Blog, June 29, 2023.  
• Some Thoughts from a Beneficiary of Affirmative Action. By Mark S. James, Academe Blog, July 3, 2023.  
• The Limitations of Test Scores and GPAs in College Admissions. By Norris M. Haynes, Academe Blog, July 13, 2023.
• Legacy Admissions and Privilege Laundering. By Carolyn Betensky, Academe Blog, July 18, 2023.
• Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action Programs in College Admissions. By Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog, June 29, 2023. 
• Race-Neutral Alternatives to Affirmative Action in College Admissions: The Research. By Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist’s Resource, June 29, 2023.  

Additional Resources and Statements

• The SFFA v. Harvard and UNC Race in Admissions Cases: Reactions to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Ruling. American Council on Education, July 5, 2023.  
• 3 Questions About How the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision Could Affect Minority Scholarships. National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, July 6, 2023.  
• Civil Rights Leaders Condemn SCOTUS Decision to Weaken Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, Demand Action from All Sectors to Ensure All Students Can Thrive. June 29, 2023. Joint press briefing with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Legal Defense Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), and Latino Justice PRLDEF.