Dear Members of the Barnard Community,
Today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court limiting the consideration of race in college admissions presents a historic challenge to all of us who continue to strive for equity in our nation and its greatest institutions.
Barnard remains deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion even as we adapt to the new legal landscape created by this ruling. In August 2022, the College, along with 32 other institutions of higher education, submitted an amicus brief that emphasized the educational benefits of building a diverse student body from different backgrounds and with varied experiences and viewpoints. This commitment is enshrined in our institutional mission, which states that “located in the cosmopolitan environment of New York City and committed to diversity in its student body, faculty, and staff, Barnard prepares its graduates to flourish in different cultural surroundings in an increasingly interconnected world.” It is also embedded in the ethos of our community, where we take responsibility, individually and collectively, for fostering learning, engagement, and mutual care.
This ruling may be painful or discouraging for many in our community given our nation’s tortured history of race relations and the ways that equality remains elusive to this day. As dissenting Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson emphasized: “Gulf-sized race-based gaps exist with respect to the health, wealth, and well-being of American citizens. They were created in the distant past, but have indisputably been passed down to the present day through the generations.”
Please know that all of you, regardless of identity and background, have the unflagging support of this exceptional community. We are united in our determination to help everyone succeed at Barnard and beyond. Today’s ruling presents an opportunity to think anew about what our foundational commitment to diversity and inclusion requires of us in a changed and more challenging environment.
As a College, we have a distinct set of tools and talents that we will call upon to think about, address, and act on as we continue to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. In the months to come, we will communicate with you about opportunities to examine, interrogate, and respond to the issues raised in this ruling. At the same time, we will make a range of practical and operational decisions to ensure that we remain true to our mission while complying with the Court’s decision. For the past several months, leaders at the College have been meeting to anticipate and plan for what this ruling might require of us to adapt and fulfill our mission to build a richly diverse student body. We will provide updates as we further understand the impact of this ruling at Barnard and within higher education across the nation.
Moments of challenge allow us to define ourselves, and I am confident that Barnard will respond to this challenge with robust inquiry, ingenuity, generosity, and effective action. I look forward to being in conversation with all of you.
With appreciation,
Laura Rosenbury
President