A US university has defended its policy of using race as a factor in admissions. The University of Texas at Austin on 6 August filed a brief with the Supreme Court supporting its decision. Justices earlier this year agreed to look into the matter after Abigail Fisher, a white student who was not admitted to the institution in 2008, filed a lawsuit challenging the policy as a violation of her civil and constitutional rights, Fox News reported. Most of the students admitted to the university rank in the top 10 per cent of their high school classes. Texas officials say race is also considered for admissions among many factors, including academic record, leadership potential and extracurricular activities. They maintain that race is not used to set quotas, saying its policy, first used in 2005, conforms to a 2003 Supreme Court ruling that upheld racial considerations in university admissions at the University of Michigan Law School. “This policy allows us to gain the benefits of a diverse student body,” UT Austin president Bill Powers said in a video statement. “We’re confident we will prevail in this case.”
Source: Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=420838&c=1