Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently
Disclosed Racial data for 1,102 students expected to enroll in the Class of 2028.
This statistic is noteworthy because it suggests a broader impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on June 29, 2023.
decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. Harvard University/University of North Carolina Banning college admissions based on race.
Some people on and off campus who clearly prefer to select students based on skin pigmentation aren’t very happy with the results of this new meritocracy: After all, the representation of the preferred racial group has decreased while the representation of other racial groups has increased slightly.
Ayman Mohyeldin, MSNBC commentator
Framed Accordingly, he changed his statement on Saturday’s show to read: “MIT has released data that confirms our worst fears about the Supreme Court: College freshman classes will be significantly less diverse than usual because of last year’s ruling that gutted affirmative action.”
According to According to the university’s admissions page, 1% of the 2028 enrollment is American Indian or Alaska Native, 47% is Asian American, 5% is Black, 11% is Hispanic, less than 1% is Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 37% is White. Some students belong to more than one group, so numbers do not add up to 100%.
“Students must be treated based on their experiences as individuals, not on the basis of race.”
In comparison
Composite Profile Looking at the average demographic composition of MIT’s first-year students over the past four years, Asian students have increased by 6 percentage points, Native American students have decreased by 1 percentage point, Black students have decreased by 8 percentage points, Hispanic students have decreased by 4 percentage points, White students have decreased by 1 percentage point, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students have decreased by roughly 1 percentage point.
Like Moyeldin, MIT President Sally Kornbluth has also expressed indignation over the racial makeup of her university’s admissions process.
Kornbluth
attention “I want to inform you that I expect this ruling will make it more difficult for future classes to maintain the diverse student body that defines MIT today. As the class of 2028 enrolls, the impact is clear and concerning,” he said in a letter to university officials dated Aug. 21.
On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court
The decision was 6 to 2. in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. Harvard University/University of North Carolina The race-based admissions processes at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are incompatible with the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
“Both programs lacked sufficiently focused and measurable objectives to justify the use of race, they forced the use of race in a negative light, they involved racial stereotyping and they lacked meaningful end goals,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote in the majority opinion.
“Students should be treated on the basis of their experiences as individuals, not their race. For a long time, many colleges and universities have done the opposite, and in doing so, wrongly concluded that the touchstone of a person’s identity is the color of their skin, not the challenges they’ve overcome, the skills they’ve acquired, or the lessons they’ve learned,” Roberts continued. “Our constitutional history does not permit such a choice.”
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested that by eliminating race-based admissions practices, the Court was “further entrenching racial inequality in education.”
SFFA President Edward Blum said:
said In a statement about the ruling, the school said: “This ruling is a long-awaited and landmark step in our nation’s pursuit of a truly fair and bias-free education system. It endorses the principle that all students should have an equal opportunity to succeed based on their efforts and talents.”
Stu Schmil, dean of admissions at MIT,
said “As a baseline, in recent years, approximately 25% of admitted undergraduates have identified as Black, Hispanic, and/or Native American and Pacific Islander. For the Class of 2028, that number will be approximately 16%,” the campus paper said.
While Kornbluth is concerned about demographic changes, Schmil noted that “this cohort is no more or less prepared to excel in our curriculum than other, more recent, more diverse classes.”
While Schmil acknowledged that there was a lack of racial data on this year’s applicants, he said, “We have no doubt excluded many applicants from historically underrepresented backgrounds who were well qualified and well placed and who would have been admitted and excelled in the past.”
Schmil hinted that MIT is thinking outside the box about how to maximize the “diversity” of its freshman class. For example, admissions officials will consider “future majors and fields of study, extracurricular activities and achievements, as well as economic, geographic and educational backgrounds.”
“To be clear, there are no quick ‘fixes’ for solving racial inequality,” Schmil continued, “but MIT will not shy away from difficult scientific and societal challenges, and will do all we can, within the bounds of the law, to continue to provide a highly rigorous and inclusive educational experience.”
Eddie Glaude Jr., a professor of African-American studies at Princeton University, told MSNBC that ending race-based admissions is part of a “two-front war” in which DEI is also under attack.
“So even if you do get into these universities, the universities are attacking the DEI offices and your experience is, shall we say, not one of welcome and support,” Glaud said. “So universities should stand by their values and not fear lawsuits. They should use the best of their reputations to fight for a diverse higher education environment.”
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