New state guidance on college campus equity

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It’s college admission season, but the process will be a little different for schools this year after the Supreme Court struck down Affirmative Action in June.

The Supreme Court ruled year to restrict the use of race by college administrators in admissions decisions. Now, the state is calling on colleges and universities to find new approaches to advance diversity, while adhering to that decision.

As part of that guidance, institutions can take a holistic view of a student, which can include their race, when looking at applications. They are also encouraged to audit their existing admissions process to identify potential barriers for historically underrepresented students, like application fees, early admission plans, legacy preferences, and curricular requirements.

The governor’s new guidance emphasizes that schools can consider how factors like income, cultural competencies, and disadvantages affect a student’s academic achievement, as long as those are based on their experiences as an individual and not on the basis of race.

This guidance comes as a joint statement by Healey’s office and the Attorney General. They also issued guidance for high schools on how to best prepare their students for the admissions process.