Minority Enrollment at UT Austin:
The Hopwood Ruling and Its Aftermath
In 1996 the Hopwood ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and an expanded interpretation by the Texas Attorney General, eliminated race as a consideration for admissions, recruitment, and financial aid at The University of Texas at Austin. This meant no minority scholarships, no retention programs to assist minority students, no special efforts to attract and recruit Hispanic, Asian, and African-American students from around the state. The legal decision left the University at a significant disadvantage. How could UT compete with other universities for the best minority students in Texas and the nation? How could it keep Hispanic, Asian, and African-American students from leaving the state to study elsewhere? Hopwood threatened to undermine decades of hard work and good will. But UT administrators rolled up their sleeves and determined to work even harder to make The University of Texas an accessible and welcoming place for minority students. |