U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Race in Admissions

Two cases (Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina) were brought before the Supreme Court focused on the question of whether U.S. universities can consider a student's race in making admissions decisions. Both cases challenged long-established race-conscious admissions practices that had previously been found to be constitutional by SCOTUS. SCOTUS held that a university’s interest in achieving a diverse student body was “commendable” but not sufficient to satisfy the strict scrutiny standard used to evaluate decisions made on the basis of race. See the above-linked resources for further information on the SCOTUS analysis. 

Undergraduate Admissions

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions remains committed to recruiting and attracting a diverse population of students who will go on to become leaders in our technology-centric society. The admissions process will change in several ways, some directly related to the SCOTUS decision and some to increase access and flexibility for prospective students:  

1. Updates have been made to the admissions timeline, which includes the introduction of Early Action, allowing students who are highly interested in Stevens the flexibility to apply early, receive their admissions decision earlier and have more time to decide before committing to a university.    

2. New essay prompts have been added to the applications (Common Application and Coalition for College application with Scoir) which ask students to draw on their personal or lived experiences and discuss how these experiences, achievements or challenges contribute to their potential success at Stevens.  

Questions related to race and ethnicity on applications will continue to be optional for students, however, race will not be used as a factor in admissions. Furthermore, that information will be suppressed from those making admissions decisions. Stevens remains committed to ensuring a holistic application review for all applicants.  As described in the Supreme Court decisions, universities may consider an applicant’s discussion of race, if the student chooses to share this information, and how race affected the student’s life, so long as this information is tied to the quality of their character and/or the student’s unique ability to contribute to the university community.  

3. Stevens recently became a member of Coalition for College, joining 150 top universities who are committed to access and have an excellent track record in supporting students and ensuring they meet or exceed graduation rate requirements.   

Graduate Admissions

Similarly, applicants for graduate enrollment will have the option to include their race in their application. However, this information will be suppressed from those making admissions decisions. Should an applicant wish to share information about race on the graduate application and explain how this factor may impact his or her professional goals, that discussion may be considered as part of a holistic application review. 

The race and ethnicity questions on the application will continue to be optional for students. As a result of the recent SCOTUS decisions, race will not be used as a factor in Stevens’ admissions decisions, and availability of this information will be suppressed from and inaccessible to those making admissions decisions.    

Goal 6 of our 2022-2032 Strategic Plan, Stevens 2032: Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology, states that we will: “Attract and retain an outstanding community of faculty, staff and students from diverse backgrounds and cultivate a supportive, inclusive learning and working environment that contributes to a technologically proficient workforce that is representative of our diverse society.”   

 The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will continue to review, enhance and implement innovative approaches to engage and recruit a diverse population of students who can contribute to Stevens’ inclusive community. By expanding recruitment efforts to include diverse geographic regions, partnering with community-based organizations, collaborating with various stakeholders to expand pre-college programs and reducing barriers through test-optional application reviews — while maintaining high standards — the Office of Undergraduate Admissions aims to ensure that talented students from diverse backgrounds and cultures join our campus.   

At the end of each admissions cycle, Stevens will utilize the data collected from the admissions process to examine its processes and propose adjustments to ensure that continued progress toward our mission-driven goals and values.  

The Divisions of Academic and Student Affairs will continue to provide services to enhance the student experience both inside and outside of the classroom that improve student success, retention and graduation rates.   

Stevens does not discriminate in hiring or other aspects of employment on the basis of race, sex, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, physical and mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. More information about our non-discrimination policy can be found on our website. Furthermore, the Division of Human Resources, Office of the Provost and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will continue to implement best practices to build a diverse candidate pool to recruit outstanding faculty and staff.