As affirmative action in college admissions continues to spark contention on a national level, UNC should not back down in defending its use of race as one factor when admitting students.
In sending the Fisher v. University of Texas case back to a lower court for review last week, the U.S. Supreme Court left its stance on the issue ambiguous. But the justices made clear that schools would have to be more thorough in the future when justifying affirmative action.
Ethnic diversity on campus is a prime attraction for potential UNC applicants looking to broaden their horizons as part of the quintessential college experience.
The multicultural nature of today’s workforce — and society in general — makes exposure to a wide spectrum of races and cultures all the more necessary.
There were more than 6,000 undergraduate minority students enrolled at UNC last year. The University ranks among the top schools nationwide by minority graduation rate.
UNC’s admissions office has studied the potential impact of race-neutral admissions — and evidence shows both diversity and academic quality of the University’s incoming freshman class would drop significantly if affirmative action was eliminated.
Race must be used measuredly in admissions — the court made that clear. UNC should strive to stay within these limits while upholding its commitment to serving the diverse young people of North Carolina and the nation.
