TGS Response to Supreme Court Ruling on Race and College Admissions
June 29, 2023
We are stronger as an institution and as a society when we can learn from and consider a broad range of ideas, experiences, and perspectives.”
Today’s Supreme Court ruling struck down the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, which will affect the student admission process at all private and public universities. This decision is fundamentally at odds with Northwestern’s stated mission of inclusion and racial equity.
TGS remains committed to supporting and engaging with our diverse community of students and scholars. We are stronger as an institution and as a society when we can learn from and consider a broad range of ideas, experiences, and perspectives. As President Schill stated in his message to the Northwestern community earlier today, “we are and will remain devoted to the goal of diversity.” The limits the Court has imposed will require a redoubling of our commitment to these values, as individuals and as an institution.
At TGS, we have spent much of the past academic year in anticipation of today’s ruling, and in active planning for its impact with many partners from across the University and more broadly across the country. In the coming weeks, the TGS Admissions & Recruitment team will reach out to graduate programs and provide information and training sessions for faculty and staff in preparation for the upcoming graduate application cycle. In the months to come, TGS will work to find paths forward that proactively support our graduate programs and their efforts to admit a superb and diverse cohort of students.
If you would like to talk to someone about the emotional impact of today’s ruling, we will connect you with the appropriate campus resources, including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for graduate students and the Employee Assistance Program for faculty, staff, and postdocs. We also ask that you respect fellow community members who may need more time to process their reactions.
Northwestern is a community of exceptional talent and intelligence, and we will continue to prioritize making our University more welcoming rather than less. Despite today’s decision, we must work and hope for a more equitable and sustainable future. We have an opportunity to breathe new life into our mission: a healthy, inclusive, and equitable educational environment for all.
We are here to support you.
Sincerely,
Kelly Mayo
Dean of The Graduate School and
Associate Provost for Graduate Education
Sheehan Fisher
Associate Dean, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Sergey Kucherenko
Associate Dean of Finance and Business Operations
Miriam Petty
Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Gayle Woloschak
Associate Dean for Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Programs
Categories: From the Dean