Message on US Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action in Admissions

Dear Members of the Drexel Community,

Diversity serves as an irreplaceable source of strength at Drexel University. It has driven innovation, advanced our teaching, research, and civic missions, and benefited generations of students across all our undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. Furthermore, the evidence is clear: Diversity fosters creativity and critical thinking — the nutrients for a thriving society and healthy democracy.

Along with our peers, Drexel has regarded consideration of race in admissions as a tool not only for promoting diversity but also for ensuring equitable access for nonwhite students who historically lacked access to higher education.

Today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action represents a significant setback for racial justice at a time when our country has far to go to undo the effects of centuries-worth of discrimination and structural racism against underrepresented people of color. It will restrict the ability of public and private universities to enroll talented, high-performing students who otherwise face systemic barriers to higher education. And based on the experience of nine states that previously banned affirmative action in college admissions, institutions of higher education will need to work harder and more creatively in order to maintain diverse student bodies on their campuses.

We have been preparing in anticipation of this decision. Now that the Court has issued its ruling, we will continue our work to maintain University compliance with the law while also upholding our deep commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Drexel.

Rest assured: We will redouble our efforts to recruit, enroll and support diverse classes of students who will succeed at Drexel and make valuable, lasting contributions to our communities, our partners, and our country.

Sincerely,

John Fry
President