Statement on Racial Injustice and Inequity in Higher Education

July 7, 2020

The powerful protests sparked by the senseless killing of George Floyd call for racial justice and social change, and they are a painful reminder of the injustices that have plagued our society for many generations. SUNY Geneseo President Denise Battles released a statement regarding the racial injustice that exists nationally and the need to go beyond talking about it. We must do something about it—now.

At Geneseo, we believe in the power of education to break down divisive barriers and create a better future for all students. We have broadened our reach to students in underserved urban and rural communities, and we have committed to expanding our efforts to support greater diversity within our student body. We also know that these efforts are not enough. Therefore, we are working collaboratively with our students, staff, and faculty to examine our enrollment policies in order to eliminate barriers and expand outreach to more underserved students.

Here’s what we’ve done so far and what we plan to do moving forward:

First, we assembled a campus-wide working group to assess our policies around standardized testing. This assessment directly informed our three-year test-optional pilot study that eliminates the SAT/ACT requirement for first-year and transfer students. Having previously worked at test-optional institutions, I know the bias that exists within standardized testing. Data also tells us that eliminating standardized test requirements results in more first-generation, low-income, and students of color applying and enrolling at test-optional institutions. We also know that it is simply the right thing to do.

Second, we’ve revised our admissions application review process to emphasize a holistic review that considers environmental factors. This context is important. For example, students who have experienced societal barriers or have had to manage a multitude of responsibilities at home have far fewer opportunities to engage in extracurricular activities, prep for SAT exams, or participate in academic research or internships, compared to students from privileged and affluent backgrounds who have few or no environmental barriers in front of them. Therefore, grit and perseverance have become important factors in student applications.

Third, we reimagined our financial aid and awarding process to look at and prioritize the financial need of our students. This will result in greater need-based aid, which will go directly to students who require more funding to support their education at Geneseo. We have also eliminated merit scholarships based on SAT or ACT scores. Instead, our scholarship awarding process will be aligned with our holistic application review, factoring in academic proficiency alongside leadership, activism, community service, and mentoring. Within the holistic application process and financial aid packaging, we are committed to honoring a student’s accomplishments, not penalizing them for a lack of opportunities.

Furthermore, we are in the process of making changes to our Multicultural Fellows Honors program. Students selected for this program have demonstrated their passion for social justice and activism within their high school and community. The Multicultural Fellows Honors program comes with a substantial scholarship, which helps support their education at Geneseo.

Moving forward, we are working closely with Geneseo’s chief diversity officer to provide more implicit-bias training for the entire enrollment division. Additionally, I plan to assemble an advisory group of diverse students to inform our enrollment practices—their voices are critical to our progress.

This is just the start. I recognize that these steps are not enough and that we need to do much more—and we will. We are committed to action, not just words.

Costas Solomou
Vice President for Enrollment Management