Harvard University admission rules under investigation, suspected of racial discrimination against white people | relationship | investigation
The Civil Rights Office of the US Department of Education is investigating whether Harvard University has racial discrimination in its admissions process, favoring applicants who have connections with donors and alumni.
△ Harvard University Campus
On July 25th, three civil rights groups, including the Boston Civil Rights Lawyers Committee, held a press conference on the federal government's investigation. According to a report launched by these groups on the 3rd of this month, nearly 70% of admission applicants who have a "heritage relationship" or a relationship with donors to Harvard University's undergraduate program are white, and their chances of being admitted are six or seven times higher than those of regular applicants. This means that children of white alumni or donors are more likely to be admitted to Harvard.
These data are calculated based on admission data from Harvard University. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in June that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina's admission policies, which were accused of deliberately discriminating against Asian students due to racial factors, were unconstitutional. Harvard subsequently released admission data. It is expected that the US Department of Education will collect more up-to-date data during the investigation process.
Three civil rights organizations believe that Harvard University's undergraduate program gives white students an overwhelming advantage in favor of "inheritance admission" applicants, and this is true for almost all American universities.
Reuters reported that many universities in the United States adopt a "legacy admission" policy. After the Supreme Court's ruling in June, "inheritance admission" has once again attracted attention. Wesleyan University and the University of Minnesota Twin City Campus have announced that they will cease implementing "inheritance admissions" in July.
"Simply put, Harvard is on the wrong side of history," said Oren Selstrom, litigation director of the Civil Rights Lawyers Committee, at a press conference
"The momentum is growing. As more and more colleges and universities abandon these unfair preferences, those who support these preferences will increasingly be seen as outliers," said Selstrom. The Civil Rights Commission represents the African American and Latino communities in New England.
Zaida Ismatur Oliva, the director of the Chica Project, said at a press conference that such a high proportion of white people being "automatically admitted" by Harvard is unfair and "excludes us young people of color.".
The Qika Project provides education and career guidance for young women of color.
The Civil Rights Lawyers Committee stated that Harvard has not responded to complaints or contacted them.
A spokesperson for Harvard University did not mention the federal civil rights investigation in a statement, but stated that the school is reviewing enrollment policies to ensure that a diverse student population can continue to be admitted after the Supreme Court makes a ruling. "Harvard is still... doubling its efforts to encourage students from different backgrounds to apply for admission.".
