New Guide for Colleges on Affirmative Action Ruling

A new report provides guidance for colleges on how to comply with the recent Supreme Court decision affirming the right of colleges to consider race and ethnicity in admissions but also affirming certain limits on the practice. The guide is from the College Board and Education Counsel, strong supporters of affirmative action.

Key points in the guidance:

• Goals for student body diversity "should be sufficiently precise, without resorting to numbers only, and based on evidence-centered academic judgment."
• Colleges need "institution-specific evidence should support the necessity of using race-conscious methods for achieving these goals."
• Individual reviews of applicants must reflect "flexible consideration of race through individualized evaluation and an institution’s unique mission."