To the Lycoming College Community:
As has been anticipated, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that race cannot be used as a criterion in making admit decisions at institutions of higher education. While the Court’s ruling is both controversial and significant, it will not impact current admissions practices at Lycoming College. The College will be able to follow the guiding principles of our mission statement that commit the College to racial inclusiveness, gender equality and an appreciation of cultural diversity. To advance that mission we will continue striving to foster a learning environment where all students can succeed and benefit from a student body, faculty and staff composed of persons from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.
Lycoming’s progress in achieving greater racial and ethnic diversity in its student body has resulted from intentional efforts to expand our applicant pool by recruiting talented and ambitious students from secondary schools in geographies not historically well-represented in prior classes. Our applicant pool has become significantly more diverse and academically accomplished, and our holistic evaluation of applications (which is not race conscious) yields classes that are similarly diverse and talented. The College will continue investing in relationships that broaden and deepen our applicant pool.
The Supreme Court’s decision also does not require that we step back from the commitment made in Lycoming’s 2021 Strategic Plan to advance our excellence by becoming a more inclusive and equitable community. During the coming year, the faculty, staff, and students will engage in broad range of initiatives designed to advance this goal. We will move forward with our commitment to providing a life-changing liberal arts education.
President Trachte