Since Supreme Court's Bakke decision in 1978, which permitted schools to consider race and ethnicity as a means to achieve diversity, most universities and colleges have considered those factors in their admissions processes. According to Marshall, the campus has followed this practice with a goal of recruiting an incoming first-year class of qualified students who reflect the diversity of graduating seniors from Massachusetts high schools. But recent legal interpretations, including a federal appeals court ruling against race-based admissions at Boston Latin School, prompted a review of policies across the University system. The same will hold true for certain scholarships, which, in the past, could be awarded mainly on race and ethnic criteria. According to Marshall, admissions applications will be changed to include more variables besides race and ethnicity, such as economic status and first generation to attend college.
Yield is the number of students who are admitted and choose to attend.
Currently, Marshall said, the yield for students of color with high academic profiles is 22 percent, compared to 27 percent for non-minority students with high academic profiles. Scott noted that the makeup of the student body has evolved throughout the University's history to include more women, non-traditional students, students of color and those with disabilities. Today, diversity encompasses many dimensions, including cultural, racial, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Scott said he is personally strongly committed to maintaining a diverse campus. He said he especially wants to do more to reach out to potential students from low-income families.