West Point Race Conscious Admissions & Border Bill
Feb 6, 2024
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Supreme Court allows West Point to consider race in admissions, lawsuit misinterprets chief justice's footnote, standardized testing becomes optional, Harvard's affirmative action case, attention on Osage County, Senate bill on border security, Texas Governor Greg Abbott's actions at the border, New York's struggle with migrants and issues of bail, detention, and removal.
The Supreme Court has allowed West Point to continue considering race as a factor in admissions, contrasting with the previous ban on affirmative action in civilian colleges and universities.
Dartmouth College has reintroduced the requirement for standardized testing in admissions, aiming to attract diverse students and provide an opportunity for applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds to showcase their academic strengths.
Deep dives
Osage County and the Ongoing Land Disputes
Osage County, Oklahoma, has gained attention as the setting of Martin Scorsese's film, Killers of the Flower Moon. The movie is based on a book about the 1920s Osage murders, where white men killed Osage people for their oil wealth. A ranching family in Osage County acquired a significant portion of land that originally belonged to the Osage nation. The podcast In Trust explores the methods by which white settlers acquired Osage land and wealth.
Supreme Court Rejects Case on West Point's Use of Race in Admissions
The Supreme Court has declined to force West Point to abandon its consideration of race in admissions. This decision comes after the court's previous ruling banning affirmative action in colleges and universities. While civilian institutions halted their use of race as a factor, West Point and the Naval Academy maintain their practice of considering race in admissions. The court's recent decision does not indicate its stance on the constitutional question, as the record before the court is still underdeveloped.
Implications of Using Race in West Point Admissions
While most West Point applicants gain admission through Congressional nomination, race is not considered in these applications. However, for applicants who enter through other channels, such as additional applicant buckets or letters of acceptance, race is considered. The method of race consideration at West Point differs from that of civilian colleges and universities. These distinctions and the potential national security interests related to military academies have contributed to the ongoing legal debate on the use of race in West Point admissions.
Dartmouth College has reversed its pandemic-era shift away from standardized testing and reinstated the requirement for applicants. The decision aims to attract promising and diverse students. The move is based on a study conducted by Dartmouth, which found that standardized test scores can allow students from disadvantaged backgrounds to stand out and demonstrate their academic strengths. Dartmouth's approach includes considering test scores differently based on each applicant's high school background and aims to ensure access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Audrey Anderson, head of the higher education practice at Bass Berry & Sims, discusses the Supreme Court allowing West Point to use race as a factor in admissions, for now. Leon Fresco, a partner at Holland & Knight and former head of the Office of Immigration Litigation at the Justice Department, discusses the Senate bill on the border. June Grasso hosts.