We are heartened that the Supreme Court today has affirmed the vital interest of universities in bringing together students from many different backgrounds and points of view.
Such diversity enriches the learning experience for all our students, as they live and learn in a community whose collective variety of experiences, interests, and perspectives opens minds, expands horizons, and better prepares students to live and serve in a pluralistic world.
As Justice Powell recognized in his landmark Bakke opinion in 1978, cited by the Court today, Harvard has long exemplified a carefully tailored approach to admissions, one in which race or ethnicity may be taken into account as one factor among many in assessing each applicant as an individual, as we aim to shape a student body whose diversity along many dimensions contributes to the education of all.
We will continue working to achieve the essential educational benefits of diversity in ways that honor both the principles of law and the values of inclusion and opportunity central to the ideals of the university.
Cambridge, Mass.