Regents of the University of California v. Bakke is a 1978 decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the use of race in university admissions. The Court struck down the University of California, Davis medical school's admissions program for setting aside a fixed number of seats for minority applicants, ruling that rigid racial quotas were unconstitutional, while also holding that race could still be considered as one factor among many in a holistic admissions process.
Facts
Classification
Policy TypeAccess or Equity Policy 1 Education LevelMaster or Equivalent (ISCED 7) 1 Enacted / Adopted Year FAQs
Did the Bakke decision ban all consideration of race in college admissions?
No. Fixed quotas fell but race could still be one consideration.
No. The Court struck down the special admissions program at the University of California, Davis medical school, which reserved 16 places in each class of 100 for minority applicants, and it ordered Allan Bakke admitted. It also held that the goal of achieving a diverse student body can be compelling enough to justify considering race in admissions decisions under some circumstances, so a properly designed program that treats race as one consideration was left open.
Sources
1. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978)
Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law SchoolPage text
After his second rejection, respondent filed this action in state court for mandatory, injunctive, and declaratory relief to compel his admission to Davis, alleging that the special admissions program operated to exclude him on the basis of his race in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment , a provision of the California Constitution, and § 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provides, inter alia, that no person shall on the ground of race or color be excluded from participating in any program receiving federal financial assistance.
Syllabus, special admissions program
A separate committee, a majority of whom were members of minority groups, operated the special admissions program.
Syllabus, the Medical School
The Medical School of the University of California at Davis (hereinafter Davis) had two admissions programs for the entering class of 100 students-the regular admissions program and the special admissions program.
View the Source 2. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia 'Regents of the University of California v. Bakke': '438 U.S. 265 (1978)', decided in 1978. (w-bbfill-education6-0927)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.