The Supreme Court’s decision on the two college admission cases in June 2023 has left the 3,400+ colleges and universities in the country (both private and public institutions of higher education) rushing to review and revise their admission practices. By declaring the admission policies of Harvard University and the University of South Carolina had violated the Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment, the ruling essentially ended decades of race-conscious admission practice (which was permissible under Affirmative Action policy) in colleges and universities across the country.
Responding to the ruling, President Stokes of the University of New Mexico (UNM) announced, “At this point, we will be examining the legal implications of the ruling and the possible effects this will have across our practices. However, we will continue to champion what we already do – build belonging through inclusivity and ensure our doors, experiences, and culture remain accessible and open to everyone.”
That was in June 2023.
While colleges and universities began to modify their admission policies, UNM officials did not expect any serious effect on the admissions process. In fact, Fall 2023 saw the highest in total first-year student enrollment since 2013. “UNM’s first-year class is one of the most diverse incoming classes in the University’s history with 71% of new students coming from traditionally underrepresented populations. Hispanic students comprise 54 percent of the class and grew by 3.5 percent over last year.” said Dan Garcia, Vice President for Enrollment Management.
As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) recognized by the Department of Education, UNM has had welcome students of color for decades. Located in a state where 64% of the state’s population are non-White, UNM has an advantage of serving communities of color for years. Last year when the Supreme court’s ruling was announced, UNM ranked #16 in the nation for ethnic diversity with respect to its student body, according to U.S. News and World Report. This, in part, is due to the state’s initiatives to provide financial assistance to its residents and UNM’s inclusive admission practices.
Since 1996, the state has been proactively encouraging its high school graduates to attain a postsecondary education. With the establishment of the Lottery Scholarship, high school graduates are presented with the opportunity to enroll at a public or tribal college or university in New Mexico within 16 months of high school graduation. When attend full time and maintain a 2.5 GPA starting in their first semester, the Scholarship would cover their tuition.
More importantly, NM is the first state in the nation that offers free tuition to its residents.
The State’s 2-year-old Opportunity Scholarship offers free tuition and fees to eligible NM residents of all ages (not only high school graduates) to pursue a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree, or a career training certificate in any public college or university in the state. On an individual level, the Scholarship would remove financial barriers for the most in-need residents who are also from the historically underrepresented communities. Thus indirectly bypass the race-conscious admission policy. On a societal level, the Scholarship aims to eventually raise the State’s education attainment and therefore benefit the state with a more educated workforce.
To facilitate the process, UNM stopped requiring its applicants to submit their SAT or ACT scores, essays, or letters of recommendation. Another policy change of the University is its acceptance criteria: a high school grade-point average of 2.5 or above and completion of the standard high school curriculum in New Mexico. The changes of admission criteria have greatly impacted the pool of college admission. Consequently, the ruling has had no noticeable effect on the University’s admissions.
The University of New Mexico is one of the 146 institutions—and the only one in New Mexico–classified as a Carnegie Research I University, the highest research activity. Additionally, it is one of only the 21 Research 1 Universities that is also designated as an HSI.
This article represents the author’s personal opinion.
Before moving to New Mexico, Julia worked for the Dallas College in Texas where she successfully expanded a $30-million privately-funded endowed scholarship program county-wide. She is a past President of the Texas Diversity Council and a past board chair of the Asian Chamber of Texas.
Julia’s passion is to raise one’s cultural competence of those that look and speak differently from them. In her free time, she volunteers at the Bernalillo Metropolitan County Court as a certified mediator and answers the crisis/suicide hotline for a local crisis center.
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