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Tufts moves closer to ending legacy admissions

The faculty senate passed a resolution to end legacy consideration in the admissions process.

A student walks to her dorm as her belongings are being brought in by professional movers at Tufts University. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

By Gwen Egan

April 6, 2022

1 minute to read

The faculty senate at Tufts University is calling on the institution to end consideration of legacy status in admissions after passing a resolution this week.

In recent years there has been a strong push across the country, led mostly by students of color and first-generation college attendants, to abandon considering legacy status in the admissions process. The practice has been accused of reinforcing a “cycle of inequity” according to reporting by the Associated Press. A Harvard poll found 60% of students were against the policy.

Amherst College and Johns Hopkins University announced they were eliminating the policy in 2021 and 2020 respectively.

A resolution was introduced by the Tufts Community Union Senate in November 2021, according to reporting by The Tufts Daily. The resolution came from the Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Henry Wortis, a professor at Tufts and chair of the DEI Committee, said there was concern from senators and the committee that eliminating legacy status as a consideration would impact the university’s ability to fundraise.

“And there isn’t much literature … where people have investigated this, but there is one published study that suggests that getting rid of legacy admissions does not have a negative impact on fundraising by universities and colleges,” Wortis said in an interview with The Tufts Daily.

Ameya Menta, a student who helped present the resolution in November 2021, said the level of interest coming from the community was indicative of a need for change.

“I think it’s really amazing to show that students and faculty alike both care so deeply about this issue, and it’s just a signal to administration that there needs to be a change,” she said. “Tufts can’t be one of the last schools to step on this train to furthering commitment to anti-racism.”

James Glaser, the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts, said he will be asking the Dean of Admissions to conduct a study of legacy admissions in summer 2022.

“We’d like to understand the implications of our legacy practice – without making assumptions – before making any decisions about how to proceed with the policy,” he said.