Now, though, subtle changes are surfacing–mostly dealing with race-exclusive scholarships, outreach and orientation programs designed to encourage attendance by minority students. Many schools have concluded that any race-exclusive program is newly vulnerable to litigation. That was underscored when two conservative legal-action groups sent out letters to dozens of colleges, threatening to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education if they maintained the programs.
The result: a growing number of schools have quietly broadened eligibility standards. Typically, they now include students who are low-income, have faced major life obstacles or are the first in their family to attend college. Amherst, for instance, has changed the name of its Students of Color Weekend to Diversity Weekend. The program, which offers free campus visits to students, is now open to students of all races who can’t afford to come on their own. Harvard, Yale, Carnegie Mellon and the College of William & Mary have made similar adjustments. If their student bodies become more diverse, few are likely to argue.
