The United States Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday about whether using race as a factor in college admissions is constitutional.
That's after lawsuits were filed against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
Amherst College joined 32 other liberal arts colleges in an amicus brief in support of the defendants.
Matt McGann, who is Amherst's dean of admission and financial aid, said the college seeks to bring together students from varied backgrounds and educate them in the liberal arts.
"A big part of that is the way that we assemble that community through a whole person admission process that considers among many factors, race and ethnicity and quite a few other things," said McGann, who was in Washington to hear the arguments at the Supreme Court.
This is the line for the ~50 Supreme Court seats reserved for the general public. Im told that those at the beginning started queuing yesterday morning! Lots of interest in this case — holistic review is necessary for preparing leaders for a diverse democracy. pic.twitter.com/5VuKNh3fCh
— Matt McGann (@MattMcGann) October 31, 2022
Other western Massachusetts schools that signed on to the brief include Smith College in Northampton, Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley and Williams College in Williamstown.
A decision is expected from the court in late June.
