Sen. Gounardes to Gothamist: College Legacy Admissions Are Fundamentally Unfair
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Push for legacy admissions ban at New York universities expected in new year
Backers of a bill to prohibit legacy admissions at New York colleges and universities are gearing up for a big push in the state legislative session starting next month.
The Fair College Admissions Act would declare that admissions preference for the relatives of alumni amounts to discrimination against other students, including those from families without college degrees, underrepresented groups and immigrants. Under the bill, colleges and universities would have to abolish legacy preferences or pay penalties.
The proposed legislation is part of a growing effort to curb legacy admissions, which critics say gives the children of alumni an unfair advantage, particularly because those students are often already reaping the benefits that come with a parent’s diploma from an elite institution.
The effort comes in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year effectively ending race-conscious admissions in universities.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who introduced the bill, said the Supreme Court’s decision underscores the need to eliminate legacy preferences. After the ruling, Columbia, Cornell and New York universities all reported drops in the proportion of Black and Latino students who enrolled this fall.
“For me it’s an issue of fundamental fairness,” said Gounardes, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn. “Legacy admissions is nothing more than affirmative action for privileged students. … It’s inherently unfair.”
