Fighting the Battle for Racial Diversity: A Case Study of Michigan’s Institutional Responses to Gratz and Grutter

Abstract

How did the University of Michigan become a viable defendant of raceconscious admissions policies? Pursuing a simple legal strategy to address Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) and Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) was certainly an option; however, Michigan’s leadership chose to respond in ways that increased the institution’s role in the affirmative action debate, resulting in the Supreme Court’s decision to affirm the use of race in admissions. This case study explores Michigan’s institutional responses to understand those elements that are critical for institutional engagement as it relates to promoting race-conscious policies, racial diversity, and inclusion.