EXPERT ADVISORY

The U.S. Supreme Court will determine the fate of affirmative action this summer, ruling on lawsuits challenging the admissions systems at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.

University of Michigan law professor Evan Caminker, who teaches U.S. constitutional law, is available to comment.

Caminker said the majority conservative court will likely put an end or place roadblocks to race-conscious admissions programs in higher education for both public and private institutions.

“If race-conscious admissions are banned nationwide, then the number of students from underrepresented minority groups will likely plummet at selective universities,” said Caminker, who served as law school dean from 2003 to 2013.

“We saw this result in California, Michigan and other states whose affirmative action programs were ended by state law. This will undermine both the quality of education and career preparedness, given that research overwhelmingly shows that student diversity (including racial diversity) significantly improves the learning environment and helps all students prepare for a culturally diverse workforce and society. And as Justice O’Connor noted in Grutter, it will likely lead to the resegregation of political, military and business leadership in this country.”

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