Vol. 128, No. 7 Thursday, July 19, 2018
OPINION
SPORTS
A&C
SCOTUS NOMINEE CAUSES CONCERN
COVERING LIVE HOCKEY EVOKES EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
MOBILE MUNCHIES AT FOOD TRUCK RALLY
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Colorado State University’s admission process will not change following the repeal of seven policies that encouraged consideration of race when admitting students in an effort to increase diversity on college campuses. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY POTTS COLLEGIAN
Affirmative action rollback will not affect CSU By Emma Iannacone @EmmaIannacone
Earlier this month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos rescinded the Obama-era guidance documents on the issue of race in college and university admissions. However, according to several Colorado State University officials, the federal government’s position will not affect CSU’s admission process. “If (universities are) following the United States Supreme
Court guidance, what each administration says or doesn’t say may not even impact you,” said Diana Prieto, the associate vice president for human capital in the Office of Equal Opportunity. The seven policies rescinded were federal guidelines on Affirmative Action, encouraging college admission offices to take race into consideration when admitting students in order to lessen the gap of underrepresented minorities earning an education. Specifically, the documents told colleges and universities they have “a compelling interest”
in achieving diversity, but it was not required to consider race and ethnicity in the admission process. That position changed on July 3, when Attorney General Sessions rescinded the documents, calling them improper and unnecessary, according to a news release issued by the United States Justice Department. In response to the federal action, the Colorado Department of Higher Education issued a statement to public university and college presidents in the state saying, “the Trump administration’s guidance need
not have any effect on how you direct admissions in your institution.” The CDHE encourages admissions offices to work toward graduating classes that reflect Colorado’s diversity, according to a memo issued to universities. “I encourage you to think about what you can do as leaders of public institutions to make sure that we are continuing to send a clear signal to prospective students and to all Coloradans that we are proud of Colorado’s diverse population, and that we are committed to institutions that
welcome and educate Coloradans from all backgrounds and to facing the future with unity and hope,” said Daniel Baer, the Executive Director of CDHE, in the memo to universities. While CSU and other Colorado colleges may not be affected by the symbolic action taken by the federal government, there are many that could be. The schools that Affirmative Action primarily affects are highly selective schools, such as Harvard University, which is currently undergoing a lawsuit involving see AFFIRMATIVE on page 4 >>