June 29, 2023
Dear Tufts community,
As you know, the Supreme Court today ruled in favor of Students for Fair Admissions in their case against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. We believe that the court majority—despite arguments made by Tufts and other institutions—failed to appropriately consider decades of academic research and institutional experience, including our experience at Tufts over the past several years, demonstrating that diversity drives institutional excellence. We must—and we will—respect the law, but nothing the court said today will change our institutional values and our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Diversity and inclusion are at the very foundation of the transformational experience at Tufts. Creating a diverse learning community does not just make opportunities available for all, but it also enriches the lives of all. We put this belief into practice every day, and it informs every decision we make. We have achieved tremendously diverse applicant pools at all our schools, and we are a stronger university as a result. Though the court’s decision will require us to make some changes, we are committed to continuing the hard work to ensure that Tufts remains a welcoming home for students from all backgrounds.
Anticipating this potential outcome, over the past year, a working group of internal stakeholders and external experts has been meeting to evaluate our policies and programs to understand which ones may have to be altered to conform to an adverse decision. This group, along with a newly formed executive strategy group, will be analyzing the court’s decision and reasoning to create a specific plan that will continue our diversity efforts while respecting the law. We will provide additional updates over the course of the academic year.
Over the past several years, our community has demonstrated its capacity to overcome significant hurdles by focusing on our core values and working together to achieve common goals. While many of us disagree with the court’s decision today, we must focus our energy on continuing to make Tufts a diverse and welcoming community that enriches the lives of all.
Anthony P. Monaco
President
Sunil Kumar
President-elect
Caroline Attardo Genco
Provost and Senior Vice President ad interim
Denise Bates
Dean, University College (as of July 1, 2023)
Helen W. Boucher
Dean, School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Tufts Medicine
Bárbara M. Brizuela
Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Alastair Cribb
Dean, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Dayna L. Cunningham
Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Dean, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life
Christina D. Economos
Dean ad interim, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Scheri Fultineer
Dean, School of the Museum of Fine Arts
James M. Glaser
Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
Daniel Jay
Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Nadeem Karimbux
Dean, School of Dental Medicine
Rachel Kyte
Dean, The Fletcher School
Kyongbum Lee
Dean, School of Engineering