June 30, 2023

Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action

Dear CSSW Community,

By now you have very likely heard about the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, which addresses decades-old precedent on how colleges and universities may take race into account during the admissions process.

One of my main priorities as Dean of the School of Social Work has been recruiting students into our program who represent the communities we serve. Furthermore, we have seen how our classrooms and conversations are immeasurably enriched by a wide diversity of thoughts, opinions, and experiences. This is an essential element of social work education, social work research, and social work practice – and an imperative as we work towards the more just and equitable society that we envision for the future. I am proud of what our school and the profession have been able to accomplish thus far, and I am also very clear that there is more work to do.

Our values and our commitment matter, at the School level and at the University level (you can read the University statement here). I want to emphasize that our school remains committed to recruiting and nurturing a diverse student body, because it is core to our social work mission and values. We will, of course, follow the law while executing on our commitment. Our dedication to these principles is unwavering.

I write only briefly today, knowing we will have more opportunity for analysis and discussion in the coming days and weeks. Be assured that the leadership team at CSSW will continue to monitor developments closely as we work with our colleagues throughout the University to gain a better understanding of the full implications of this ruling. We will come together in the months ahead to discuss this decision and what it means for our School, the broader community, and the country.

In community,

Melissa