Supporting Access and Opportunity Across Higher Education

Campus Update

Chancellor Block shared the following message with the UCLA campus community.

Dear Bruin Community:

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today banning consideration of race in admissions decisions at colleges and universities comes as a painful blow to many. Echoing University of California President Michael Drake, I would like to express my disappointment with the decision, which will have a substantial impact on efforts to expand opportunity and diversity, counter ongoing patterns of discrimination and bring in those who have historically been shut out of higher education.

While we are still analyzing the language of the decision to determine whether it will have any direct effect upon UCLA, our university has been operating under similar constraints for some time. In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 209, which barred consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity and national origin in hiring and admissions decisions at public institutions. Since Proposition 209 was implemented, we have sought to maintain our commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence through innovative outreach programs targeting students with diverse life experiences, including low-income and first-generation students; initiatives to increase UCLA’s geographic reach; and holistic admissions policies that consider students’ achievements in the context of the opportunities available to them.

Though work remains to be done, these efforts have indeed helped us build a more diverse student body. But we should recognize that progress has been slow. As one example, it took more than 25 years for the percentage of Black students in our in-state incoming class to reach pre-Proposition 209 levels.

With today’s decision, colleges and universities across the country now face a similar uphill climb.

Higher education is one of the greatest engines of social transformation in existence. We stand with our peer institutions as they navigate this new landscape, and remain deeply committed to keeping the doors of opportunity open to talented and driven students of all backgrounds.

We have assembled an FAQ document that outlines UCLA’s admissions policies and practices as they relate to race and ethnicity. I encourage you to review this information if you wish to learn more.

Sincerely,