As many of you are aware, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings sometime next month regarding race-conscious admissions practices at public and private colleges and universities.
These decisions, in cases filed against Harvard and the University of North Carolina, may require changes in Oxy’s policies and practices to ensure that we comply with the law as announced in those cases.
We do not yet know what the outcomes of these cases will be. But there is one thing about which we remain certain: the court's decisions will not change our commitment to our historic mission and its cornerstones of excellence, equity, community, and service. These are core values for Occidental.
No court decision can alter the fact that every Occidental student has earned their place here. Thes College's longstanding practice of recruiting talented students from a wide range of backgrounds and holistically reviewing applicants has made it possible for us to consistently enroll a diverse, high-performing group of students. Their impressive and inspiring record of personal and academic achievement in college and beyond speaks for itself.
Since the Supreme Court oral arguments in this case last October, we have been carefully examining our operations that may be impacted by the decisions, in admissions and beyond, so that we can be as prepared as possible for the Court's ruling. In April, we hosted a discussion for students in partnership with the Intercultural Community Center (ICC). On May 15, we will host a "Learn … Then Lunch" session for faculty and staff that focuses on this issue. We remain advocates for diversity and inclusion, most recently through an op-ed in Inside Higher Education signed by 28 small liberal arts colleges that are all members of the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equality Leadership Alliance.
We will continue to update the Occidental community as we learn more and as the effects of the Court’s decision become more clear.
Best,
President Elam