What Does The Judge's Ruling In Favor Of Harvard In Its Admissions Case Mean?

A federal judgeruled in Harvard’s favor Tuesday in a landmark admissions case, ruling the university does not discriminate against Asian-American applicants. The lawsuit was filed by a group called Students for Fair Admissions, which accused administrators of setting quotas for the number of Asian students admitted each year. Harvard officials denied using quotas, saying race is only one factor in the admissions process — a contention the judge agreed with, while noting the school’s current system was “not perfect.” Many contended the case would serve as a referendum on affirmative action as a whole, and believe it could end up in the Supreme Court. So, what does the ruling mean?

Jim Braude was joined by Gregory Davis, a doctoral student in African American studies at Harvard, and Natasha Warikoo, a professor of Education at Harvard and the author of "The Diversity Bargain and Other Dilemmas of Race, Admissions, and Meritocracy at Elite Universities."