To: The Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: The Supreme Court’s decision on race in college admissions
Date: June 29, 2023
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling on Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina and SFFA v. Harvard College—two closely watched cases that will define college admissions for the foreseeable future.
I know many in our community are deeply concerned about how the ruling will impact the College’s ability to continue to admit the diverse classes of students that are essential to the excellence of our academic programs and to the life of our campus more broadly.
As many had anticipated, the decision from the conservative majority held that the admissions programs of Harvard College and the University of North Carolina violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. While the Court noted that “[u]niversities may define their missions as they see fit,” it concluded that courts could no longer permit “separating students on the basis of race without an exceedingly persuasive justification that is measurable and concrete enough to permit judicial review” and that Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs “do not satisfy that standard.”
The length and complexity of the Court’s decision means it will take some time for us to fully understand its specific directives and the implications that follow.
What I can say with certainty is that I am deeply disappointed in the Supreme Court’s unwillingness to uphold earlier decisions acknowledging that colleges and universities have a “compelling interest” in enrolling a diverse student body because of the important educational benefits diversity offers all students.
I believe the Court’s decision on race-conscious admissions is likely to have profound negative consequences for generations of students, for colleges and universities, and indeed for our nation. If we are to achieve the educational excellence we aspire to, our students must have the opportunity to learn from each other across diverse backgrounds and experiences, as they do today. Where will they learn to do that if not in our classrooms and on our campuses, where we seek to teach the next generation of leaders and citizens?
Though we have more to learn about the decision, as I said, I can explain the steps we are taking to continue to fulfill our commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence.
First, it’s important to note that we are working from a strong foundation—most critically our longstanding commitment to creating access through a need-blind admission process. Without a doubt, our most powerful tool for expanding access is our commitment to meet 100% of a student’s calculated need. This has allowed us to enroll a diverse range of students and provide a transformational education for all. I want students to know that today’s ruling will not affect their financial aid awards in any way, because our aid decisions are based solely on calculated need.
Second, the ruling in no way restricts the strategies we use to reach out to prospective students. We will continue to grow our efforts to introduce students of all backgrounds to Wellesley, educate them about what we have to offer, and encourage them to apply. In fact, this is just the type of outreach we will need to ensure that a diverse and growing group of young women chooses to apply to the College.
During the pandemic, we pioneered a number of virtual recruiting methods that expanded our outreach to a wider array of students, and we will build on these efforts going forward. In addition, we plan to increase our capacity for in-person outreach both on and off campus. Members of the admission team will increase and broaden their travel to areas where Wellesley may be less well known. We will also strengthen our partnerships with community-based organizations that work with diverse groups of students.
Third, we are continuing to pilot a test-optional application process that was prompted by the pandemic. This change has been associated with a sharp increase in applications to Wellesley over the last few years, and we are evaluating its impact on student success. We will take the results as well as the impact of the Court’s decision into account next year when we decide whether to continue this policy.
Finally, we will continue to use a holistic and individualized application review process that looks at a full array of information about each student. Through this process, we know that every student admitted to Wellesley belongs at Wellesley based on their stellar academic achievements and their individual strengths, and through our commitment to inclusive excellence we work to ensure that all can thrive here. That has always been an important part of our process, and it will remain so.
I am confident in the leadership and commitment of T. Peaches Valdes, our dean of admission and financial aid, and her dedicated and highly capable team, and I know they will do their best to adapt to the new landscape the Court’s ruling creates. Moreover, I have great faith in the power of our alumnae, who have promised to serve as ambassadors and to be a resource for students who want to learn more about Wellesley.
We know that students learn the most in an environment where they can study, live, and work among people whose life experiences are different from their own. So even as we comply with the Court’s decision, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to enroll the best students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. This is critical to our mission, our values, and our excellence as an academic institution.
Again, I want all of our students to know that they belong at Wellesley, we embrace the diversity of our community, across all measures, and we remain fully committed to lifting up all those on our campus and honoring their unique contributions.
As Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent, “[S]ociety’s progress toward equality cannot be permanently halted.” Wellesley will be part of that forward march.
