Opinions vary sharply on the U.S. Supreme Court decision to gut affirmative action policies in higher education admissions, but Peoria-area institutions claim they don't expect much impact.
Ruling on a pair of cases, six of the top court’s justices formed the majority in determining the race-based admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated the equal protection clause in the U.S. Constitution.
Representatives from Bradley University and Eureka College say the decision will not impact their enrollment processes.
“We do not use race as a factor in our admissions process,” said Teri Lucie Thompson, Bradley’s vice president of marketing, communications, and enrollment management. "We've been using holistic reviews for quite some time."
Thompson said that holistic review approach has been in place for at least 10 years, adding affirmative action is not a part of the process in any way.
“Other ways you might think would be: do we administer scholarships to one group of students based on race? We don't,” she said. “So everything we do focuses on the student and the qualities of and caliber of whatever it is that we may be admitting student to.”
Eureka College President Jamel Wright issued a statement saying the institution “values students’ diverse experience and backgrounds.”
“While we do not consider race in our admissions process and have not fully unpacked the Supreme Court’s decision or its possible implications on Eureka College, we remain committed to our core values of ensuring an equitable, inclusive and diverse community,” Wright said.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, said he supports the direction taken by the Supreme Court's ruling and believes it could lead to reversing other race-based employment considerations.
“Initially, I'm happy with that decision in terms of how we weed out affirmative action,” LaHood said. "I think we've made a lot of progress over the last 30 years and I think the time is right to move on."
In a statement, State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, said she's “incredibly troubled” by the ruling that she feels reinforces systemic inequities.
“In the days ahead, we’ll be taking a close look at the potential impact on Illinois colleges and universities,” Gordon-Booth said. "It’s critical that we do what we can to preserve college access for marginalized populations that deserve the full opportunity to pursue the career and life that they want."
Gov. JB Pritzker issued a statement calling the decision “a travesty” that reverses a long-standing legal precedent that advances equity at higher education institutions.
“Affirmative action admissions practices were a critical step towards creating educational environments that are representative of our diverse nation, while righting the wrongs of our past,” Pritzker said. “This decision only sets us back.”
Thompson said the decision won’t result in any change to how they reach out to prospective Bradley students.
“The important word is ‘holistic;’ we look at a variety of factors,” she said. “Even when we think about recruiting and where we send admissions counselors, where we set up a dance, the high schools with which we have relationships with guidance counselors – those are all extremely diverse.”
