Cuttino responds to Supreme Court brief

When he talks about diversity and admissions, Dean of Admissions David Cuttino focuses on experiences, not race.

Cuttino, who favors affirmative action, characterized the Tufts' admissions policies as "acting 'affirmatively' for all students." The University's goal is to enroll as many students of different backgrounds and experiences as possible; this, in effect, makes every admitted student an affirmative choice for the University, he said.

The dean believes the current debate about affirmative action _ spurred by a pending Supreme Court case between the University of Michigan and applicants it refused to admit _ is flawed because it focuses too closely on race, and disregards other varying standards of admission such as multicultural experiences and talents.

"Students who are legacies, involved in athletics, and the first generation in college" all have unique qualities which are taken into account, Cuttino said.

The current criticism directed at affirmative action, he said, "could have a chilling effect" on a policy that is not fully appreciated.

Last Wednesday, President Larry Bacow announced that Tufts would file a brief in the Supreme Court in support of the University of Michigan, which practices a point-based affirmative action admissions program. Harvard has also said it would file a brief. Both schools made the announcements after the Bush administration filed a brief opposing Michigan.

In an interview after the announcement, Cuttino was quick to note that admissions policies in the United States are almost entirely based on affirmative action. While one wants "to achieve objectivity" there is a need to make "a more informed judgment" than what test scores and grades would show.

A less favorable option, he said, would be to have a high school exit exam such as the Baccalaureate and its variations in countries around the world.

Unlike the University of Michigan's point system, Tufts says it evaluates each application individually and that pure objectivity is not to be desired.

Having a diverse community will help "make everyone prepared for a complex, changing world," Cuttino said. This way we "can operate more effectively across cultures." He said this mantra is not just demonstrated in Tufts' admissions process, but through programs such as study abroad as well.

Admissions officers believe that many of the students who apply to Tufts are qualified. The problem for the admissions committee is to determine who will bring the most to the educational experience. "We are trying to encourage learning from one another, not just teachers," he said.

When a group of students with a variety of experiences come together, Cuttino believes it makes the learning environment much richer.

Responding to the claim that affirmative action does not help campus assimilation, Cuttino placed the burden on students and faculty to integrate. "It's not enough just to be here," he said. "[We] must do as much as we can to gain, and continue to work together after graduation."

One of Cuttino's recent objectives has been to increase the percentage of minorities on campus. A rising number of minority applicants, not stronger affirmative action policies, have contributed to higher percentages of minority students at Tufts in recent years, Cuttino said.