On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reported that it will consider whether the time has presented itself to eliminate affirmative action in college admissions. The court will address a white student’s claims that she was denied admission to the University of Texas because of her race. Abigail Noel Fisher is claiming that the university’s race-conscious admissions policy lost her a spot in the freshman class. Nine years ago, a divided court said that universities were allowed to take race into account as one of many factors in considering applicants in the process of trying to assemble a diverse campus within the student body.
Opponents of affirmative action are hoping that the current court, which consists of more conservatives than the one that made the decision in 2003, will limit the use of race or eliminate it completely. “We must have the flexibility to consider each applicant’s unique experiences and background so we can provide the best environment in which to educate and train the students who will be our nation’s future leaders,” University of Texas President Bill Powers said. The case of affirmative action adds to a significant union of social issues on the court’s calendar of cases, as the justices take on a higher, election-year profile. The case is called Fisher vs. University of Texas.
