Brown announces new efforts to increase 'diversity and inclusion' after SCOTUS affirmative action ruling

Brown University has unveiled a plan to boost its minority student representation after more than one year since the Supreme Court ruled race-based affirmative action in college admissions to be unconstitutional.

On Dec. 4, Provost Francis Doyle and Interim Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity Patricia Poitevien sent a campuswide message on “Initiatives to sustain a diverse student body.”

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”In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that greatly limited any consideration of race in admission decisions, Brown remains committed to complying with the law while fostering a diverse and inclusive community as integral to our mission of academic excellence,” the two officials write. 

”With a focus on recruitment, matriculation and retention of a diverse community of students, the University has developed a set of concrete actions focused on ensuring a robust pool of highly qualified diverse students apply to Brown and, once admitted, have access to the resources they need to enroll,” the message continues.

The university’s plan contains over nine outlined strategies, including a new admissions programming for guidance counselors to “build understanding of Brown’s commitment to a diverse and thriving student body,” the creation of a new alumni relations role to “engage with prospective students from underrepresented communities,” as well as increasing partnerships with alumni “affinity groups” that “cultivate relationships and support recruitment efforts among diverse communities.”

”This will be a years-long effort as the University and other institutions continue to contend with an evolving admissions environment nationwide,” Doyle and Poitevien write.

The officials also conclude their message by reinforcing Brown’s commitment to “diversity and inclusion.”

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Brown’s Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity oversees the university’s DEI efforts, including the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP).

According to the office’s website, DIAP is “an ambitious action plan to ensure a more fully diverse and inclusive campus that continues to advance inclusive excellence, creates new opportunities for underrepresented scholars to teach and conduct research, and offers a campus-wide understanding of the essential roles that diversity, equity and inclusion play in Brown’s success as a leading research university.”