North Dakota, Minnesota colleges respond to Affirmative Action ruling

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – The U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, Thursday. The high court ruled 6-3 that it is unconstitutional to consider race as a determining factor in college admissions.

Ballotpedia estimates less than 20% of public universities across the country use affirmative action in admissions. It’s more common in selective, private schools, as a way to help diversify their campuses and provide more opportunities to people from underrepresented backgrounds.

North Dakota State University said they are aware of the court’s decision and are looking into it, with assistance from the Attorney General’s office. However, NDSU does not use race as a factor in admissions decisions.

The University of Minnesota does use affirmative action on at least some of the campuses. They released a statement, saying: “The Office of Admissions remains steadfast in our commitment to inclusion and access to remove barriers to higher education and to ensure that all members of our community have equitable access to the university and its resources. We appreciate your patience as the university evaluates the decisions and communicates the changes that will be required.”

John L. Hoffman, the President of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College, released a statement to Valley News Live. It reads:

“Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action—the consideration of students’ racial classification—in college and university admissions selection processes. As open access institutions, this ruling does not affect our admissions decisions at Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College, but it is a decision with widespread consequences at colleges and universities across the country.

Today’s decision overturning affirmative action was about a tool historically used to achieve equity, not about the goal of equity itself. BSU and NTC remain firmly committed to achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We do this because we believe that all students can excel at our institutions, and we also believe that increasing diversity on our campuses enhances the transformative learning experience for all our students.

Be assured that at BSU and NTC, our goals to advance holistic student success and diversity, equity, and inclusion remain as strong as ever.”

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