Update: Aug. 2, 2022

Emory joins amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court

Emory and 14 other universities filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 1 regarding two cases pertaining to affirmative action: Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, et al. 

The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments this fall. A ruling is expected in June 2023.

In the filing Emory and the other universities explain how a diverse student body strengthens the educational experience for all students. The universities write: “Diversity fosters a more robust spirit of free inquiry and encourages dialogue that sparks new insights. Diversity encourages students to question their own assumptions, to test received truths, and to appreciate the complexity of the modern world.” 

Diversity also prepares “graduates to pursue innovation in every field, to be active and engaged citizens equipped to wrestle with the great questions of the day, and to expand humanity’s knowledge and accomplishment,” the universities write.

In addition to Emory the following universities joined the brief: Brown University, California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University.

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Update: May 21, 2020

Emory joins amicus brief in U.S. Court of Appeals

Emory has joined 14 other leading universities filing an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in the case of Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.

The court is hearing the case on an appeal from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The plaintiffs, Students for Fair Admissions, want to prohibit the consideration of race in college admissions. In October 2019, the district court ruled in favor of Harvard.

In their brief to the appeals court, filed May 21, the universities argue that “student body diversity is essential to achieving their educational missions” and that “individualized, holistic evaluation of applicants, with consideration of race, is necessary to achieve the benefits of diversity.”

The universities “embrace diversity as a key part of their educational missions because they recognize that diversity promotes a more robust spirit of free inquiry and encourages students and faculty to engage in dialogue that results in the creation and dissemination of knowledge.”

In addition to Emory, other universities joining the brief include Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University.

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July 31, 2018

Emory joins brief in U.S. district court

Emory is among 16 leading universities urging a U.S. District Court to affirm that institutions of higher education may consider race among many other factors in a holistic admissions program.

The amicus brief was filed July 30 in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Students for Fair Admissions Inc., a nonprofit advocacy group that opposes consideration of race in college admissions, is suing Harvard College over the university’s admission policies.

Emory and the other universities “speak with one voice to emphasize the profound importance of a diverse student body for their educational missions,” the brief states. “The diversity that [they] seek in their admissions policies is nuanced and multifaceted, and it encompasses a diversity of perspectives, experiences, goals, backgrounds, races, ethnicities and interests.” 

Learning as part of diverse community “encourages students to question their own assumptions, to test received truths, and to appreciate the complexity of the modern world,” the universities continue, noting that this understanding prepares their graduates “to pursue innovation in every field of discovery, to be active and engaged citizens equipped to wrestle with the great questions of the day, and to expand humanity’s learning and accomplishment.” 

The universities explain that, as part of an “individualized and holistic consideration of each applicant,” they must be able to “consider race and ethnicity as one factor among many in order to better understand each applicant and the contributions he or she might make to the university environment.”

While the plaintiffs suggest that this consideration should not include race, “it is artificial to consider an applicant’s experiences and perspectives while turning a blind eye to race,” the universities state. “For many applicants their race has influenced, and will continue to influence, their experiences and perspectives.”

In addition to Emory, other universities joining the brief include Brown University, Case Western Reserve University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University.