Page 12 - BusinessWest August 7, 2023

EDUCATION >>
Embracing Differences
Even Without H
BY JOSEPH BEDNAR
arry Dumay said he was disappointed, though perhaps not surprised, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the use of race-based criteria in college admissions on June 29.
At the same time, he said the ruling wouldn’t change anything at Elms College, where he serves as president.
Colleges Aim to Cultivate
Diversity
“We sought
legal counsel on whether we should be changing our practices, and
also whether this would hamper us in achieving our mission of having a diverse student population, and it doesn’t.”
Race-based Admissions,
“We do not use race-conscious policies in admis- sions,” he explained. “The way we go about having a diverse student body — and we are very satisfied that our student body has been increasingly diverse — is by projecting the idea that we are a campus where every- one is accepted, everyone is embraced, and everyone belongs.”
Elms recruits heavily from Greater Springfield and the broader Western Mass. region, as well as Connecti- cut, areas that are already demographically diverse, he noted. “We attract those students by creating an atmo- sphere on campus where every student feels this is the
Diversity >> Continued on page 14
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Harry Dumay says some race- conscious policies have benefited both colleges and students over the years, even if Elms College doesn’t employ them.