Penn prepares for Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

If affirmative action is overturned, Penn would be impelled to reframe its admissions process to maintain a diverse student body

SARA FORASTIERI AND ELEA CASTIGLIONE Senior Reporter and Staff Reporter

Penn is actively planning for the possibility that the Supreme Court will overturn affirmative action in an upcoming ruling, but the exact response and impact remains unsure.

Legal analysts widely expect the court to overturn affirmative action by the end of June, in its ruling for two cases filed by Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Administrators, professors, and students that The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with said that the end of affirmative action would force higher education institutions nationwide to recalibrate their admissions processes in order to build diverse classes of incoming students.

Why affirmative action could be overturned

In modern higher education, affirmative action refers to the practice of considering a student’s background as a factor in admissions decisions.

At Penn, the Policy on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action prohibits discrimination based on a series of legally protected classes, including race and ethnicity, among other factors. Penn admissions are based on a holistic approach, meaning it takes into account various factors — including race — when evaluating applicants.

Penn President Liz Magill wrote in a statement to the DP that diversity is important for preparing Penn students and crucial to the University’s mission.

“We have long been committed to providing the transformative opportunity of a Penn education to the broadest range of talented individuals, and a student body that reflects the diversity of our broader society creates a rich and dynamic educational experience,” Magill wrote. “It is also essential to preparing Penn graduates to lead in our pluralistic world.”

The two cases being heard by the court were petitioned by SFFA, an organization that aims to