ADMISSIONS

35% Hispanic, and 4.6% Black. e school has become slightly more demographically diverse in the last decade. e student population also has grown, and the school is admitting and serving more students who are Black and Hispanic.

In a statement, University of Colorado President Todd Saliman and Philip DiStefano, chancellor of CU Boulder, said the university would continue to use admissions processes that consider “the whole student,” including demographic characteristics and life experiences.

“As we move forward, the University of Colorado will continue to advance our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” they said. “We are steadfast in our belief that a vibrant and inclusive community leads to a richer educational experience for all, contributes to a positive society, and prepares our graduates to excel in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.”

Jennifer McDu e, CU’s associate vice chancellor of enrollment management, said the university plans an audit of all its admissions practices and sta trainings to gure out what needs to change in response to the ruling. At the same time, CU is looking at what barriers it can reduce in admissions, which may mean expanding nancial aid or removing extra essays from its application process. e university also wants to ensure students from diverse backgrounds feel wanted and welcome, McDu e said.

University of Denver Chancellor Jeremy Haefner said in a statement that his institution would continue to work to build a more diverse study body, for example by prioritizing diverse high schools in its recruitment e orts and working to create a more welcoming campus environment.

“Without question, there is much to learn about how this decision will impact admission processes at the undergraduate and graduate level,” he said. “Legal professionals will apply their expertise to interpreting the decision over the coming days and weeks, and we will make the best choices for DU’s commitment to diversity and our students while complying with the legal landscape.” e Supreme Court decision stems from two cases that were brought by Students for Fair Admissions, an organization headed by Edward Blum, who has spent years ghting admissions policies that consider race. e group alleged that the race-conscious admissions policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina are unfair and discriminate against Asian American applicants, among other allegations. e universities said they needed to take race into account to build a diverse student body, which brings bene ts to the schools and students.

In a 6-3 opinion written by Chief

Justice John Roberts, the court ruled that argument relied on stereotypes about how people of di erent races and ethnicities think and behave. e majority opinion argues that using race as a factor in admissions inevitably harms groups that aren’t favored by the policy.

“College admissions are zero-sum, and a bene t provided to some applicants but not to others necessarily advantages the former at the expense of the latter,” Roberts wrote.

Opponents of the use of race-based admissions had argued that Asian American applicants are harmed by the practice.

But the decision also will have an impact on the Asian American community, said Jennifer Ho, a University of Colorado Boulder professor. While Asian Americans are highlighted in the case, they have a mixed view on a rmative action and using race in admissions, according to a Pew Research Center study.

While some Asian American communities are highly educated, many struggle to get to college, such as Hmong, Laotian and Cambodian students, and those from Myanmar, Ho said.

“Asian American students who are from Southeast Asian groups are vastly underrepresented in colleges and universities and have some of the lowest graduation rates from high school by percentage,” said Ho, a professor of Asian American studies.

Many Asian Americans have also bene ted from race-based admissions policies, Ho said, including herself. e last time the Supreme Court took up a rmative action was in 2016, when it upheld that colleges and universities can use race in admissions. e makeup of the court has since shifted to a more conservative majority.

“My guess is that some of the parents who are driving the narrative that a rmative action is harming their children have actually been the bene ciary of a rmative action policies,” she said.

Data from states that previously banned the use of race in admissions provide a look at what may happen nationwide.

After California and Michigan banned the use of race in admissions, the share of Black, Latino and Indigenous students at several of the most selective universities fell sharply. ose gures tended to tick back up with time, but never fully rebounded — and they still fail to represent the racial diversity of high school graduates in those states, the Boston Globe reported.

When colleges become less racially diverse, students of color often feel the schools are less welcoming — which could discourage Black and Latino students from applying or staying in college. at matters because Black and Latino students are more likely to bene t from the social capital that comes from attending a top college. Ralston said more of his students