A STATEMENT FROM THE NEW YORK SIX PRESIDENTS CONCERNING THE SUPREME COURT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DECISION
(Syracuse, NY – June 29, 2023) The presidents of the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium member institutions have issued a statement regarding the United States Supreme Court decision in the affirmative action cases brought by Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. against Harvard College and the University of North Carolina. The statement reads:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling, banning the use of race, as such, as one among many factors in the evaluation of applicants for admission, contradicts a core value of higher education: creating a living and learning community that reflects diversity of thought, interests, backgrounds, and experiences. Our role as leaders and educators is to provide our students with a college experience that prepares them for the world they will enter upon graduation: a diverse, multicultural, global society.
The Court has effectively nullified 40 years of precedent, putting us in uncharted waters with more litigation certain to follow. We remain committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and we will work to analyze the decision and identify the best ways to pursue our goals and missions, in keeping with our values, within the law as it now stands.
Brian W. Casey, Colgate University
David Wippman, Hamilton College
Mark D. Gearan, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Kathryn A. Morris, St. Lawrence University
Marc C. Conner, Skidmore College
David R. Harris, Union College