Yale University has joined the ranks of universities across the country expanding programs formerly open only to minorities to all students.
In an e-mail sent to students last Friday, Yale College Dean Richard Brodhead announced that Cultural Connections, an orientation program that offers freshmen minority students a chance to go to New Haven before classes begin and to adjust to the campus before classes start, would be open to all incoming freshmen.
The announcement, made after Yale already had opened up other programs to all interested students, reflects changes in minority programs at several universities following two June Supreme Court rulings regarding affirmative action. Additionally, universities face pressure from advocacy groups that allege many universities' minority programs are in violation of civil rights law.
In his e-mail, Brodhead expressed his belief that the change would strengthen Yale College.
"I expect this change to strengthen the Cultural Connections program, and indeed the whole fabric of Yale College," Brodhead wrote.
Brodhead wrote that Yale was changing programs after the Supreme Court rulings clarified affirmative action policies.
"While our commitment to supporting the needs of minority students in Yale College remains unchanged, this moment requires us to examine our programs intended to foster an inclusive student community to make sure that they successfully serve that goal," Brodhead wrote.
Since the Supreme Court rulings, the Center for Equal Opportunity, a Virginia-based think tank, has sent letters to over 100 colleges and universities nationwide, including Yale and the University, complaining about what it deems racially exclusive programs.
Edward Blum, senior fellow at the CEO, said the letters sent by the Center were prompted by the Supreme Court's ruling that only individual considerations could be taken into account when schools considered an applicant or student's race.
"Clearly, all race-exclusive programs and resources don't involve individualized consideration," Blum said. "They are, by their very nature, just the opposite of that."
Blum said the Center's letter project was mostly completed and many schools had changed some of their programs or policies.
"Overwhelmingly, they have taken the path of Yale and the others and amended the programs to include all students regardless of race," Blum said.
Yale spokesperson Gila Reinstein listed two fellowships and a scholarship program that had previously been expanded to all students. Reinstein also said the administration was examining other programs for possible change.
"Any ones that are directed to restrictive populations like minorities, women and so on, are being rethought to make them as inclusive as possible," Reinstein said.
Blum said the University had received a letter specifically requesting they open the Minority Introduction to Engineering program to all students. Blum said the Center received a reply from the University declaring they had already decided to open the program to all students.
Shamim Sisson, director of the Office of Student Life, said the University had no orientation programs devoted specifically to minority groups.
"By and large, our orientation is open to everybody, and there are very few events for any one group in particular," Sisson said.
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