In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision upholding the right of the University of Texas-Austin to consider race as one of many factors in admissions decisions, officials at the University of Vermont praised the ruling.

“We are very pleased that the United States Supreme Court has reaffirmed the right of colleges and universities to consider race as one factor among many in a holistic review of applicants,” said UVM president Tom Sullivan.

“At the University of Vermont, we have made great strides in diversifying our student body over the last 25 years using this holistic approach, immeasurably enriching the lives of our students, faculty and staff in the process,” he said. “As Justice Sandra Day O’Connor observed in Grutter vs. Bollinger in 2003, affirmative action in higher education is a ‘Public Good’ that has lifted millions of Americans into the middle class, helped employers meet their demanding workforce needs, and enriched the learning of all students. We at UVM applaud the Court for today’s well-reasoned reaffirmation of the important, constitutional role affirmative action continues to play in helping to achieve the rich diversity that is so critically important in higher education, in the U.S workforce, and to the development of world leaders.”

University officials said they will continue to maintain other initiatives designed to help UVM reach its diversity and inclusion goals, within the parameters of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. These include a broad-based effort to ensure the University is affordable for low-income and first-generation college students in Vermont and an outreach and scholarship program for new Americans in the state. Additionally, UVM will continue its partnership programs with high schools in diverse metropolitan areas such as New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.