Statement of University of Pittsburgh in Response to U. S. Supreme Court Rulings in the University of Michigan Diversity Cases

The University of Pittsburgh has a long standing policy that commits the University to ensuring that the full range of opportunities it provides are accessible to all segments of an increasingly diverse society. This policy recognizes that a diverse student body is a crucial component of a premier education, which prepares students to live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and globally interdependent society. We are gratified that in the two University of Michigan cases, the Supreme Court of the United States today has upheld the principle that a diverse student body is a compelling state interest—one that is protected and one that a university may seek to achieve in appropriate ways under the U.S. Constitution.

As was previously announced, the University of Pittsburgh, along with a number of other major research universities, filed a friend of the court brief in these cases that supported the aforementioned principles. We are now studying the details of the court's rulings. We remain confident, however, that our programs seeking diversity in admissions comply with constitutional mandates.

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6/23/03