Today’s Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action in Higher Education

By now, most of you have likely read or heard about the Supreme Court’s troubling decision prohibiting the use of race as a factor for higher education institutions to consider in the admissions process.

We disagree with the Court’s decision and its flawed reasoning. To quote Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent: “Although formal race-linked legal barriers are gone, race still matters to the lived experiences of all Americans in innumerable ways, and today’s ruling makes things worse, not better.” To be clear, this ruling does not dampen our commitment at Saint Mary’s College to fostering an equitable and inclusive campus community.

The Court’s decision neglects and perpetuates the structural inequities that plague our educational system. Despite today’s ruling, Saint Mary’s joins many other colleges and universities, as well as organizations such as the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities in remaining resolute in expanding opportunities for all individuals to attend college and to succeed on our campuses.

Our mission and Lasallian heritage guide this approach. As noted in the Saint Mary’s mission statement, the College “defends the goodness, dignity, and freedom of each person, and fosters sensitivity to social and ethical concerns…As a Lasallian College, Saint Mary's holds that students are given to its care by God. The College seeks students, faculty, administrators, and staff from different social, economic, and cultural backgrounds who come together to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and love. A distinctive mark of a Lasallian school is its awareness of the consequences of economic and social injustice, and its commitment to the poor.”

Saint Mary’s affirms its commitment to equity-driven education, emphasizing belonging and affirming the richness that comes from diversity. Approved in 2023, the College Strategic plan notes “as we consider our responsibility to our students, we will empower diverse learners to succeed at Saint Mary’s and beyond. We will throw open doors for more students, especially those from underrepresented communities. In the coming years, we will create more opportunities for individuals of diverse backgrounds to access higher education, to thrive as part of a transformative academic experience, and remain connected long after graduation day. Saint Mary’s will embrace its heritage as an institution committed to placing the advantages of a quality education ‘within reach of all’ by increasing the availability of financial support to increase access to the College and its myriad programs.” 

Here at Saint Mary’s we add our voices to the many colleagues around the country disappointed with today’s decision. We commit to working with integrity, intentionality, and love to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice initiatives on our campus and in our communities.  

Sincerely,

Corey Cook, Provost and Professor of Politics 

María Luisa Ruiz, Interim Senior Diversity Officer and Professor of Global and Regional Studies

Frances M. Sweeney, Vice President for Mission and Professor of Spanish