Race-based Admissions Policy Changes at UMass-Amherst

In response to changing legal standards across the country, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst announced Friday that it will reduce the role race and ethnicity play in admissions and financial aid decisions.

The changes at UMass are expected to decrease minority representation in next year's class by up to 200 students- five percent of the 3,700-person class--according to Joseph Marshall, UMass assistant vice chancellor for enrollment services.

"The definition of diversity has changed over the years, and we want to be responsive to these changes," Marshall said. "Nationally, affirmative action has become more of a topic of legal and moral debate."

The main catalyst for the recent change, was a November decision by a federal appeals court that struck down the Boston Latin School's affirmative action program as unconstitutional.

Courts in other states such as Maryland and Washington have also ruled against affirmative action in state universities.

According to Harvard Director of Admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis '70-'73, Harvard will not reevaluate its admissions process because of the changing legal climate, since Harvard's admissions process does not take such factors as race, ethnic background, or family income into account, according to Lewis.

"We pride ourselves on our diversity, but we achieve that diversity by very aggressively recruiting a diverse pool of applicants," Lewis said. "The admissions committee chooses who it thinks are the strongest candidates with the greatest promise for the future."

According to Marshall, UMass' initial admissions decisions are based strictly on merit. Considerations of racial and ethnic diversity have only come into admissions decisions when the final slots in the incoming class are being filled, but this role will be diminished.

"Now, we will weigh all the variables equally, and try to obtain other variables besides race and ethnicity, such as family income and whether students will be the first generation in their families to attend college," Marshall said. "We're hoping to define diversity as broadly as possible."

Race will also be less of a factor in scholarship decisions, he added.

Marshall said UMass administrators have been reviewing affirmative action policies since August--a process that has included discussions with professors and student groups.

According to a UMass press release, in order to offset the decrease in minority students in its incoming classes, the school will take specific steps to improve the yield of students of color. UMass'yield for students of color is currently lowerthan for non-minority students.

Such steps--which were discussed with at leastone minority student group on campus--includeholding special information sessions for studentsof color and encouraging faculty members andalumni reach out to prospective minority students,Marshall said.

According to Lewis, while Harvard tries toattract a diversity of applicants, it does nottake special steps to encourage minorities toattend once they have been accepted. The yield forminorities is the same as the yield fornon-minorities, she added.

"I hope people choose us because they'rewell-informed, and not because they've beenseduced," she said

Such steps--which were discussed with at leastone minority student group on campus--includeholding special information sessions for studentsof color and encouraging faculty members andalumni reach out to prospective minority students,Marshall said.

According to Lewis, while Harvard tries toattract a diversity of applicants, it does nottake special steps to encourage minorities toattend once they have been accepted. The yield forminorities is the same as the yield fornon-minorities, she added.

"I hope people choose us because they'rewell-informed, and not because they've beenseduced," she said