The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action at colleges will have “little to no impact” on admissions at Slippery Rock University.

Amanda Yale, chief enrollment officer at SRU, said the institution mainly assesses prospective students by their submitted transcripts, and the application process has not required an essay for at least 25 years.

She said the university tries to promote not only racial diversity, but other forms of diversity among its students as well.

“As a public institution with a mission of access, the reason why the decision will have little to no impact with accepting students is we do not use race as a criteria for acceptance,” Yale said. “Access doesn't mean race only; we are creating diversity of income, diversity of first-generation students.”

The Supreme Court on Thursday, June 29, struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor. The court’s conservative majority effectively invalidated admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively.

Yale said officials of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) are still looking at how the court’s decision could change university policies, including those relating to financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Students create a profile to submit applications where they identify their race, but she said it is not a factor in the admissions process.

While the decision could change university admissions practices across the nation, a statement from SRU said the university is still dedicated to molding a diverse campus.

“Slippery Rock University is, has been, and will always be, committed to creating a diverse campus community of students, faculty and staff representing various gender, racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds,” the statement said. “We believe this diversity, along with committing to diversity among faculty and staff, creates a more valuable learning environment that supports student success.”

Yale said the university’s recruitment efforts target various areas — mainly within Western Pennsylvania — to invite students of many backgrounds to attend the school.

“We get most of our students when we recruit from urban areas,” Yale said. “That's diverse because of race, social economics and first-generation students. We have a lot of different kinds of programming. The ones that bring the highest numbers of students are the open houses.”

Slippery Rock has an office of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, which works “collaboratively with university constituents to cultivate a welcoming environment for all individuals.”

The university’s website also includes a mission statement on the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging’s page.

“We are dedicated to the implementation of policies and the use of best practices that explore multicultural and social competencies while placing innovation, inclusion and belonging at the forefront,” the page says.