2010 ban means affirmative action ruling likely has no effect in Arizona
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Thursday's landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina isn't expected to have any effect in Arizona, where voters already prohibited such policies.
Driving the news: In a 6-3 vote led by the high court's conservative bloc, the justices ruled that the two universities' admissions policies, which gave extra weight to applicants from underrepresented groups, violated the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment.
State of play: Arizona voters in 2010 passed Proposition 107, barring the state from granting preferential treatment to people based on race, sex, ethnicity, skin color or national origin.
- The prohibition applies to education, public employment and public contracts.
- We're one of nine states that already prohibited affirmative action in college admissions, along with California, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.
Yes, but: Arizona universities admit all in-state students who meet their requirements and don't artificially cap the number of Arizona students accepted, which ASU said in a press statement will "continue to have one of the most diverse student bodies in the country."
- Since fall 2013, ASU's student body has grown by 85.8% to more than 142,000 students enrolled in-person or online.
- That includes a 118.9% increase in Black students, 129.1% increase in Latino students, 122.5% jump in Asian students, and a 151.7% uptick in students who identify as two or more races, ASU said.
- Over the past decade, UofA's first-year class has gone from 39% students of color to 47%, the school told Axios Phoenix.
What they're saying: The ruling "will have no impact on the diversity of the Arizona State University student body or ASU's commitment to having a student body which reflects the population of the State of Arizona," the school said in a press statement.
- "As the state's land grant university and a Hispanic Serving Institution, we are proud to have seen significant growth in diverse student enrollment over the last decade," UofA spokesperson Pam Scott told us.
- While NAU's admissions process isn't affected by the court's ruling, the university said it;s continued to boost representation for all students "through inclusive outreach efforts, clear admissions requirements, equitable financial aid policies, and effective support services."