Remarks of Rice University Provost David Auston

December 04, 1996
Faculty Meeting

Subject: Diversity in the University

We are still committed to recruiting students from diverse backgrounds. We have been advised we can still take several steps to work toward that goal. One, we can heavily recruit prospective students in regions where candidates from underrepresented groups can be found, such as the Rio Grande Valley. Two, we can also invite students we have already accepted to come to our campus, meet our students, and attend our classes. Three, we can adopt new guidelines for admissions. An ad hoc committee has drafted guidelines that will be used by the Admissions Committee and the Admissions Office. These guidelines, which will soon be distributed to departments, will help us look for crucial factors in the backgrounds of the students we bring together.

We will look for students who have achieved in the face of challenge as well as students whose past actions have demonstrated their interest in building bridges between racial, cultural, and ethnic groups, even if they are not members of a minority group. Actions, not minority heritage, will be the important distinction here. Four, the University can and will work with foundations and individuals who have provided funds for scholarships and other programs that have been restricted to minorities to bring those programs into compliance with the Hopwood decision.

We hope that by restating our admissions criteria we can still attract to the University community a significant number of minorities and persons from diverse backgrounds. We hope that the Supreme Court will clarify matters, but in the interim we will continue our commitments as we adjust our admissions policies to comply with the Hopwood decision.