Tilghman issues statement on Supreme Court affirmative action decisions

Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's June 23 decisions on lawsuits challenging the University of Michigan's affirmative action policies:

"We are very pleased that the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of a 'narrowly tailored use of race in admissions decisions to further a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body.' In doing so, the court has endorsed the position enunciated 25 years ago by Justice Powell in the Bakke case, as Princeton asked the court to do in the amicus brief that we filed earlier this spring with a number of other universities. The court's action allows us to continue our current practice of taking race into account as a plus factor in an admission process that evaluates each applicant individually and weighs the capacity of each to contribute to the class, the institution and society."

Contact: Lauren Robinson-Brown (609) 258-3601