Statement from Nancy Zimpher on United States Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling

For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 29th, 2023

Washington D.C. – “The United States Supreme Court has decided to buck decades of precedent in ruling that race-conscious admissions policies at colleges and universities will come to an end. Our nation could have worked to find a solution that protected both merit-based admissions and continued to ensure the ability to overcome historical inequities. Instead, this decision guarantees a lack of diversity not only on our campuses but at every level of our workforce for decades to come.

“Public systems of higher education serve more diverse student populations than every other higher education option across the country combined. The National Association of System Heads is proud to support our systems in ensuring equitable student success and advancing prosperity for the nation. NASH members serve as a beacon of opportunity and engines of upward social mobility for students and families of all backgrounds and from across all ends of the socio-economic spectrum.

“NASH remains committed to our Power of Systems transformation agenda and its cornerstone – the Equity Imperative – of providing resources and support towards eliminating systemic educational equity gaps. And in doing so, we will work with our members to navigate this new terrain with innovative solutions that collectively meet our public mission to provide education and opportunity to all Americans who seek it.”

About the National Association of System Heads

Founded in 1979, the National Association of System Heads (NASH) represents chief executives of the 65 public higher education systems in the United States. Member institutions work collaboratively to advance innovation and change in public systems of colleges and universities. To learn more about NASH and its national initiative, the Power of Systems, visit www.nash.edu.

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