GSU, Georgetown professors discuss impact of ending affirmative action ahead of SCOTUS decision

June 9th, 2023

A recently released study of race-considered admissions in higher education found that ending such programs would threaten progress made in student diversity, just as the U.S. Supreme Court plans to make a major ruling on affirmative action in the coming days.

Dr. Tony Carnevale, the study’s lead author and director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, joined Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look” alongside Georgia State University law professor Tanya Washington to discuss the impacts of the anticipated court ruling.

“As a proud and unapologetic beneficiary of affirmative action and eminently qualified for the position I’ve held at Georgia State College of Law for 20 years, affirmative action was necessary to respond to systemic, entrenched, legal racial discrimination,” Washington said. “And in its absence I have no reason to believe that we won’t return to that state of affairs.”

If struck down by the Supreme Court, the decision would affect all public and private universities in the United States. Carnevale says institutions will need to overhaul admission practices to make up for the changes, particularly in how they handle recruitment.