Fisher v. UT Admissions Case Returns to Lower Court; ACPA Signs On

ACPA joined ACE and a group of 40 higher education associations in submitting another brief in the case Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (UT) that is about the use of race in the college admissions process.

On June 24, in a 7-1 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court remanded the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. The Supreme Court stated that the Fifth Circuit Court did not apply a sufficiently demanding legal standard when it upheld the partial use of race in selecting entering classes at the University of Texas at Austin.

The amicus brief focuses on a single key argument: educators’ determination of educational goals merits judicial respect. In addition, the summary of the brief's argument states, "A diverse student body is essential to the educational objectives of colleges and universities." This belief is in line with ACPA’s core values and is an important reason for supporting this brief.

The plaintiff in Fisher suggests that current standards to create diversity at the University of Texas need to be a part of an overarching numerical system. This system would be applied to all educational institutions. However, the educational group makes the case that individual institutions are most capable of deciding what students best fit their educational goals.

Download a copy of the brief (PDF).