Dear Universities and Colleges,
We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the potential overturn of affirmative action in college admissions by the United States Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina. Recognizing the pivotal role that your institution plays in shaping the future of countless students, we ask that you take proactive measures to support race-conscious admissions policies that promote diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities for all.
Affirmative action has long served as a vital tool to address historical and ongoing racial inequalities by ensuring equitable access to higher education. It has allowed individuals from underrepresented communities to break through barriers and pursue educational opportunities that were once denied to them. Unfortunately, the recent legal challenges and debates surrounding affirmative action have cast a shadow of uncertainty on this important policy.
Understanding the potential ramifications of an affirmative action reversal, we believe it is incumbent upon colleges and universities to take a firm stance in support of race-conscious admissions. By implementing and safeguarding alternative mechanisms that account for race and ethnicity, educational institutions can uphold their commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive learning environments.
We, the undersigned, urge you to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to equal opportunity and social justice by adopting the following measures:
1. Publicly affirm your commitment to racial diversity: Regardless of the decision, issue a clear and unequivocal statement expressing the continued importance of considering race and racial diversity in achieving the goals of your institution.
2. Discontinue standardized exams: Eliminate the use of racially-biased standardized exams like the ACT or SAT, or make them optional. These tests do not measure whether a student will succeed or fail in higher education, nor do they measure intelligence. Instead, they favor wealthy or otherwise well-resourced students who have access to expensive prep classes.
3. Eliminate financial barriers: Offer more financial aid and scholarships, especially to students who are the first in their family to attend college. This approach ensures that a student's financial background does not influence the admission decision, supports communities of color that are disproportionately low-income, and allows talented individuals from financially disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education.
4. Strengthen targeted outreach and recruitment efforts: Allocate sufficient resources and support to outreach and recruitment programs aimed at attracting a diverse applicant pool. Collaborate with community organizations, high schools, and colleges serving underrepresented communities to ensure that all candidates have access to information and resources necessary for the application process.
5. Establish partnerships with community colleges and four-year degree programs: Transfer partnerships and articulation agreements between community colleges and four-year degree programs, particularly community colleges serving underrepresented populations can create pathways for students who face systemic barriers to accessing and succeeding in higher education.
6. Eliminate special preferences: End legacy preferences for athletes and children of alumni because they are unfair advantages. Legacy admissions are preferential treatment and historically a backdoor strategy for limiting the number of students of color including immigrant students.
7. Collaborate with other institutions: Engage in dialogue and collaborations with other colleges and universities to advocate to local, state, and federal agencies and other governmental and non-governmental entities to preserve race-conscious policies. Through collective efforts, colleges and universities can amplify the call for diversity and inclusion and blunt the rollback of civil rights.
By adopting these measures, you can play a leading role in ensuring that students from marginalized communities have equal access to higher education.
Sincerely,
Chinese Version
亲爱的大学和院校:
我们在此表达对最高法院在“学生争取公平录取”(SFFA)诉哈佛大学案和“学生争取公平录取”诉北卡罗来纳大学案中推翻大学招生中平权法案的深切忧虑。我们认识到贵校在塑造无数学生的未来方面所发挥的关键作用,我们要求贵校采取积极措施,支持有考虑种族因素的招生政策,促进多样性、包容性并为所有人提供平等的机会。
长期以来,平权法案一直是一个重要的工具,通过确保公平获得高等教育的机会来解决历史上和当下持续的种族不平等问题。它使来自代表性不足的社区的个人能够冲破障碍,追求曾经被剥夺的教育机会。不幸的是,最近围绕平权法案的法律挑战和辩论给这一重要政策蒙上了阴影。
了解到平权法案被废除的潜在影响,我们认为高校有责任采取坚定立场,支持在招生中对种族进行考量。通过实施和保障考虑种族和族裔的替代机制,教育机构可以坚持他们的承诺,培养多样化和包容性的学习环境。
我们,以下签名者,敦促贵校通过采取以下措施,表明其对机会平等和社会公正的坚定承诺:
1. 公开声明对种族多样性的承诺: 无论法院判决如何,都要发表明确无误的声明,表达在实现贵机构的目标时持续考虑种族和种族多样性的重要性。
2. 停止使用标准化考试: 取消带有种族偏见的标准化考试,如ACT或SAT,或使其成为学生可以选择性提交的成绩。这些考试并不能衡量一个学生在高等教育中的成败,也不能衡量智力。相反,它们只利于来自富有家庭或拥有其他资源的学生,因为他们有机会参加昂贵的补习班。
3. 消除经济障碍: 提供更多的财政援助和奖学金,特别是对作为家庭中第一个上大学的学生。这种方法确保学生的经济背景不影响录取决定,支持低收入比例过高的有色人种社区,并允许经济条件有限的优秀人才能够接受高等教育。
4. 加强有针对性的外展和招聘工作: 为旨在吸引多元化申请人的外展和招聘计划提供足够的资源和支持。与社区组织、高中和为代表性不足的社区服务的大学合作,以确保所有候选人都能获得申请过程中的必要信息和资源。
5. 帮助社区大学和四年制学位课程建立合作: 社区大学和四年制学位项目之间需要建立合作和衔接协议,特别是为代表性不足的人群服务的社区大学,可以为那些面临系统性障碍的学生创造进入高等学府的途径并取得学业成功。
6. 取消特殊优待政策: 结束对运动员和校友子女的优待政策,因为这是不公平的。校友子女传承录取是一种优惠待遇,在历史上是限制有色人种包括移民学生数量的隐性策略。
7. 与其他机构合作: 与其他院校和大学进行对话和合作,向地方、州和联邦机构以及其他政府和非政府实体倡导维护种族意识的政策。通过集体的努力,高校可以扩大对多样性和包容性的呼吁,减缓公民权利的倒退。
通过采取以上这些措施,学校可以发挥主导作用,确保来自边缘化社区的学生有平等的机会接受高等教育。
“Contact Information 联络信息表格” 中英参考:
First Name 名
Last Name 姓
Street Address (Optional) 街道地址(选填)
Postal Code 邮政编码
City 城市
State 州
Email 邮件
Home Phone (Optional) 家庭电话(选填)