Affirmative Action No More: Unpacking UC Regent Response to Special Policy 1 (SP-1) & Special Policy 2 (SP-2)

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Culture and Climate in Higher Education

Abstract

On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admission policies were unconstitutional, unless tied to an applicant's individual experiences and character which could be used limitedly, as they violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (Hawke, 2023). The recent federal removal of race-conscious policies holds parallel to policy passed within the University of California (UC) in 1995. These policies, known as Special Policy 1 (SP-1) and Special Policy 2 (SP-2), were introduced by a member of the most powerful stakeholders within the UC system, UC Regents. These policies, which were ultimately passed by the Regents on July 20, 1995, created shockwaves throughout the United States while altering the UC system of higher education.

Author

• Tim Herd, University of California - Los Angeles