UC Merced Communication to Faculty and Staff in Response to 2/14/25 "Dear Colleague," letter from the Department of Education

This past February 14th, the Department of Education issued a "Dear Colleague" letter, describing the administration's intent to interpret the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard as applying beyond undergraduate admission processes.  We have asked legal counsel to assess the letter and its potential implications for UC Merced and our sister institutions within the University of California. Since the enactment of California Proposition 209 in 1996, all state governmental institutions, including UC Merced, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, sex, or ethnicity in public employment, public contracting, and public education. UC Merced programs and initiatives are in full compliance with federal and state law banning preferential treatment or exclusion based on protected categories. We will continue to monitor and evaluate executive orders as necessary, ensuring that we uphold our educational mission and values while remaining compliant with state and federal law.