The US government has opened an investigation into the prestigious Harvard University's policy of giving children of its former graduates priority in enrollment, a tradition that its opponents consider to be in the interest of white students.
Lawyers for the associations that filed a lawsuit in this regard published a letter on Tuesday from the Federal Ministry of Education informing them that the civil rights department affiliated with it is conducting the investigation, which the ministry confirmed to the "New York Times".
Harvard, like a number of other American universities, makes it easy for the children of its former graduates to join its ranks.
The claimant associations noted that 28 percent of Harvard University graduates in 2019 were those whose parents or family members had previously graduated from this university. She emphasized that 70 percent of the students applying for affiliation who benefit from this privileged treatment are white.
At the end of June, the US Supreme Court ordered universities to stop applying "affirmative action" programs in student admissions, a legacy of the civil rights struggle in the 1960s that made it possible to promote diversity on campuses.
"It is very important to eliminate practices that systematically diminish opportunities for students of color," lawyers for Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston stressed in the lawsuit filed by three associations accusing Harvard University of discrimination.
And Harvard stated in a statement, a copy of which was received by Agence France-Presse, on Tuesday, that it is reviewing the entire process of accepting affiliation applications in line with the decision of the Supreme Court and “enhancing its ability to attract and support a diverse intellectual community,” stressing that it is “essential” in its pursuit of “academic excellence.” .
