Statement From UM System President Mun Choi and Chancellors Regarding Federal Race-based Admissions Policy Change

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri System and our four universities are committed to fostering diversity within our community of students, faculty and staff. We recognize that our entire academic enterprise benefits tremendously from the full engagement of diverse viewpoints, derived from a variety of lived experiences and ways of interacting with and interpreting the world. As an academic community, we understand the value of boldly pursuing full inclusion as a central component of our values and our approach to each other and the world around us. We have put these values into action by implementing an “inclusive excellence” institutional framework.

The federal, race-based admissions policy change will not alter our admissions practices. Students at our four universities are admitted based solely on merit, and that will not change. Furthermore, none of our universities has an admissions cap for undergraduate programs, so one student does not take the place of another.

In 2018, we achieved a record number of applications and admissions from African-American and Hispanic students to our four universities.

We remain committed to building diverse communities, to preparing our students for the global marketplace that awaits them and to our efforts to build the preschool-through-college pipeline. Our core belief is that individuals, communities, our state and nation benefit when everyone has access to higher education.  

All throughout the University of Missouri System, our community of students, faculty and staff are working to increase the college-going rate for all individuals. We do this by using the expertise of our many researchers who are helping us to better understand what leads to college access and success; the support and advice provided by our Extension programs to families throughout the state; the guidance of counselors at our camps and programs that mentor and introduce young Missourians to the university environment; the dedicated peer support of our amazing students and student-led organizations for one another; and the work of our faculty and staff who help students make a successful transition to thrive in the college environment —  ultimately earning a degree that contributes directly to the state economy. 

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