WACAC leadership identified the need to codify a response plan into organizational policy after observing natural and human-made “disasters.”
While no one wants to plan for wildfires or admission scandals, having protocols in place provides guidance to WACAC leadership with decision making and determining what actually requires a “response” from the organization. WACAC uses NACAC’s Guiding Principles for Public Statements to clarify what constitutes a situation of concern.
The Executive Board will review, update and approve the plan annually. In some situations, WACAC may choose to support affected organizations or communities through the Berman-Chalmers Fund.
WACAC STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT DECISION IN RACE-CONSCIOUS ADMISSION CASES – 6.30.23
We would like to address and share the latest information on the recent United States Supreme Court decision regarding race conscious admissions decisions at colleges and universities across the country. The Supreme Court ruled against both Harvard and UNC yesterday on the grounds that they violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause by incorporating race and ethnicity into their admission decision-making process. While we understand the concerns about the impact on diversity and inclusion efforts on our campuses, WACAC remains committed to equal access to higher education for all students.
NACAC is hosting an information session on July 19th at 3:00 p.m. (eastern), that aims at providing a streamlined, practical analysis of the Court’s SFFA opinions, with clarity on the implications for institutional enrollment policy and practice—including recommended strategies and action steps to consider. Complementing the legal analysis, this session will feature enrollment professionals who will share their reactions to the decisions and ideas regarding ways to continue to advance their institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. For those of you who are NACAC members, we encourage you to register.
In the face of this change, we must come together as a community to explore alternative approaches and innovative strategies to meet the diverse needs of all students. By sharing our insights, experiences, and innovative practices, we can navigate these challenges together and ensure that underrepresented students continue to have equitable pathways to higher education. We echo the disappointment shared by NACAC in their recent statement and are committed to providing resources and support to our members.
If you have any questions or would like to contribute to the ongoing discussions with our WACAC community, please reach out to our Admissions Practices Committee at wacacap@wacac.org. There is still much to learn from this decision and as more information becomes available, we will continue to share it with you.
Thank you for your relentless commitment to advancing equity in education.