Mike Sosulski
President of Washington College

I want to reassure our entire community that regardless of what the Supreme Court decided in this discrete case, nothing has changed in our commitment to the work of equity, diversity, and inclusion in every aspect of the College’s life. And we will continue to pursue that noble goal.

Our founding president, William Smith, believed that the College’s purpose was to create good citizens, and good citizens are, almost by definition, people who can work together towards something that is greater than the individual. This is built into not just our nation’s founding ideals, but also the founding ideals of Washington College.

In point of fact, we have not been using race as a screening point for the incoming classes or employment at the College. Instead, we sought to make our doors as clearly wide open as they possibly could be to any and all people. Our primary way of doing the work of equity, diversity, and inclusion is through the tangible strides we are making on campus, in the classrooms, in our workforce, and through our partnerships with and outreach in the wider community. These tangible gains clearly signal our commitment to our principles to anyone seeking to join our community.

What I worry about is what sort of cultural effect, perhaps a chilling effect, the Supreme Court’s decision may have on applicants and their families. If it sends the message that the bar for entry has moved or that colleges and universities are not the welcoming places that they always present themselves to be, it will make our ideals more difficult to achieve. All this decision needs to do is cast doubt in the minds of college applicants or potential college applicants and their parents to do damage. So, bearing that in mind, it is very important that we attempt to strengthen our outreach to diverse communities. I maintain that we are a better college when we have equitable and diverse classrooms.

It is important to restate unambiguously that the Court’s decision does nothing to alter our steadfast commitment to building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive College community where all members feel a true sense of belonging. Washington College is a remarkable and distinctive community, and our diversity and commitment to inclusive excellence will remain among our strengths.

Alisha Knight
Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion and Senior Equity Officer

In June 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that using individual students’ racial identity in and of itself to determine college admissions decisions violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Colleges and universities nationwide are
re-evaluating their admissions practices in light of the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard/University of North Carolina rulings. Washington College is not considered a “highly selective” Ivy League or “near Ivy” school, but we know we would be naive to dismiss the ruling as irrelevant to our institution.

Harvard and University of North Carolina (UNC) have holistic admissions processes that consider a variety of personal criteria, not just race when reviewing student applications. Still, the Court ruled that their interests in the educational benefits of diversity were “too elusive” and not “sufficiently measurable.” It is this view that could have implications beyond admissions for our school. Not only do we know the benefits of having students from different backgrounds are real, but we remain committed to them as part of our mission to provide an inclusive learning environment that challenges and inspires students to discover lives of purpose and passion.

The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education issued a joint statement in August 2023 that clarified that “institutions of higher education may continue to articulate missions and goals tied to student body diversity.” Fortunately, this clarification affirms our Diversity Statement: “We, the students, faculty, staff, and Board of Visitors and Governors of Washington College, welcome, invite, value, and support a diverse community of individuals.” Furthermore, “In the pursuit of academic excellence, we endeavor to be a community made up of people from a variety of backgrounds with differing perspectives, life experiences, religious, philosophical, and political beliefs, lifestyles, and ideologies.”

I believe this remains a noble and worthy endeavor despite the Court’s apparent belief that we should be living in a color (race) blind society. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson detailed in her dissenting opinion, “deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life…. ultimately, ignoring race just makes it matter more.” 

In short, we can’t welcome, invite, value, and support people of different identities unless we see, acknowledge, and accept that our identities differ.

Johnnie Johnson
Vice President for Enrollment Management

After the Roe v. Wade reversal and some other decisions made by this Supreme Court, I anticipated this decision. It is disappointing because it feels like we’re going backward in terms of giving underrepresented populations an opportunity for education.

I’m often asked what it means for the College’s admissions practices. The truth is that it won’t change a lot. We will continue to operate as we always have because we only use race and ethnicity to know how many people from a particular race or background are in our applicant pool. Many people don’t understand that small colleges typically don’t use race or ethnicity as a determining factor. It’s just part of a bigger picture.

We look at academic performance and potential as the critical factors for admission—so grades, test scores, essays, and recommendations determine an applicant’s admission. 

I advise college applicants to talk about their backgrounds in their essays because that’s how we understand them as individuals. Whether they are talented at math or are a creative type interested in the arts, it’s on them to tell people who they are. They need to tell us about their interests—sports, theater, community service, playing the oboe. Most importantly, they need to be authentic and learn how to tell their story in a way that helps us understand how they will adapt to our classrooms and our campus culture. 

This Supreme Court decision will not impact our commitment to having a diverse population of students. Whether through our Office of Intercultural Life or student-led groups, we have outlets for students to express themselves and feel welcomed. We want our students to feel comfortable here and have places where their voices are heard on this campus, and we’re committed to that going forward.

I want to add one last thing—the decision is sort of narrow because it talks about race specifically. But we all get the sense that if you read between the lines, they’re talking about any difference, such as sexual orientation or ethnicity. Remember, it wasn’t long ago that people thought women didn’t have a place in education.

The real benefit of having people from different backgrounds is that it expands minds. We don’t grow if we’re doing the same thing over and over again. It’s the same with interacting with people—if we just meet people who look like us, think like us, and are from the same background, we’re less likely to grow. When you have different perspectives, it forces you to think differently, which stimulates the brain. 

I want to be clear that we are and will remain a campus that is open and accepting of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and disabilities, and I’m proud of that.