Statement by President Bacow regarding Harvard’s July 25, 2022 legal filing, which forcefully defends its compelling interest in pursuing the benefits of student-body diversity and the consideration of race as one factor among many in admissions. Read more in the Harvard Gazette.
In our brief filed with the Supreme Court today, we have made a powerful case that enrolling a diverse student body is central to fulfilling our educational mission, that diversity enhances education for all, and that Harvard does not discriminate against any group in its admissions practices, a conclusion affirmed by two separate lower court decisions. I encourage everyone to read the brief. It also persuasively argues that the text and history of the 14th Amendment support the conclusion that the Constitution permits consideration of race as one factor among many in a whole-person admissions process. We remain steadfast in our belief that every college and university must retain the freedom and flexibility to create the diverse educational communities that will prepare their students for the opportunities and challenges they will confront in an increasingly diverse society.