July 4, 2003

Affirmative Action Survives, and So Does the Debate

The Supreme Court upholds race-conscious admissions in principle, but not always as practiced

By Peter Schmidt

Washington

The U.S. Supreme Court hardly ended the debate over race-conscious college admissions policies in its two landmark rulings last week involving the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. But the court did answer the big question before it—whether the Constitution permits such policies—with a resounding yes. Its decisions may leave some colleges open to lawsuits challenging the nuts and bolts of particular admissions policies, but the general practice of using affirmative action to