Statement on the SCOTUS Decision on Affirmative Action
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement on the SCOTUS Decision on Affirmative Action
Philadelphia, PA, July 6, 2023 | In light of the last week’s United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina to end the right to consider race in college admissions, Council for Relationships (CFR) acknowledges that historically disadvantaged communities continue to face systemic inequities in education and wealth, reiterates its commitment to diversity in the classroom, and reaffirms its belief in the overwhelming value diversity brings to educational environments.
“It is a false assumption that there is equality of educational opportunity across race and ethnicity. The SCOTUS decision thwarts efforts to make progress on educational equity and will weaken the quality of the educational experience for all students,” CFR CEO, Dr. Jeannine L. Lisitski stated. “Council for Relationships will continue to strive to bolster the diversity of the students in our programs.”
CFR knows that a diversity of students leads to diversity of thought, and as such, is a critical component of any mental health care training program. As a training institution for future couple and family therapists, CFR stands with the American Psychological Association (APA) in their denouncement of this ruling and concurs with the APA that “improving racial-ethnic diversity in higher education remains a compelling need as prejudice and underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minority groups are still present on college campuses today.”
CFR is keenly concerned about the chilling effect the Supreme Court’s decision will have on efforts to diversify the field of mental health care by closing avenues of access to mental health training programs for people from historically marginalized communities. Diversity in the classroom leads to diversity in the fields that students go on to work in. The mental health field has a real paucity of diverse providers, which is detrimental to the field overall, and to the people we care for.
CFR will continue to prioritize and value student diversity in its Post Graduate Certificate Program in Marriage and Family Therapy, Post Graduate Certificate Program in Sex Therapy, its collaborative educational work and trainings, along with its clerical therapy training and other professional education workshops. The organization knows that diversity of thought leads to better trained mental health professionals and, ultimately, better mental health outcomes for clients.
Media Contact
Name: Michael Fasano-McCarron
Role: Director of Communications & Development
Email: mmccarron@councilforrelationships.org
Phone: 267-417-8754 ext. 3160