The College joins 32 peer institutions in signing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Harvard and the University of North Carolina in two concurrent cases that will be heard this fall.
The brief, which was initiatied by Amherst College and signed by 32 peer institutions, details liberal arts colleges' “compelling interest in enrolling diverse classes," and argues that including race as part of a holistic review of a candidate's application is crucial to creating that diversity.
“Each college deliberately seeks to enroll and house on campus a highly diverse group of students—from different states and countries; from urban and rural backgrounds; homeschooled, private-schooled, and public-schooled; with differing economic circumstances; with different kinds of experiences, talent, or athletic ability; students who will be the first in their families to go to college and, among some of Amici, students with family connections to the schools,” reads the brief. “Studies consistently show that diversity–including racial diversity–meaningfully improves learning experiences, complex thinking and non-cognitive abilities. Diversity also generates pedagogical innovations and decreases prejudice. These benefits are especially pronounced at liberal arts colleges and small universities, where smaller class sizes lead to greater engagement among diverse students.”
The brief also warns that prohibiting the consideration of race in admission decisions would make the kind of diversity that the signatory institutions seek "nearly impossible to attain."
