U Of MN Will Stop Considering Race In Admissions Process

MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities will no longer consider race and ethnicity as "context factors" during its admissions process as of Tuesday. The change in policy follows last month's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that ended affirmative action.

Family attendance and employment at the university will also no longer be considered by admissions officers.

"The University of Minnesota Twin Cities has an updated undergraduate admissions holistic review practice," the UMN website states.

"As part of the recent Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions along with our standard annual review of undergraduate admission practice, we no longer consider race and ethnicity or family attendance or employment at the University as context factors."

The university says state its application "will ask for this optional information for recruitment and communication purposes about programs and services offered."

However, the information will not be seen by application reviewers and will not be considered at any point during the admissions decision process.

End of Affirmative Action

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court held that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, effectively eliminating the ability of colleges and universities to use affirmative action to achieve a racially diverse student body.

The majority opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts said the court has "permitted race-based admissions only within the confines of narrow restrictions. University programs must comply with strict scrutiny, they may never use race as a stereotype or negative, and — at some point — they must end.”

Read more: Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling: What It Means In MN